The Importance of Being Danny Phantom
by Leonardo DiCaprio
Summary: I decided to continue the story of Danny Phantom. Drama comes into play when the GiW are in posession of an invention that can turn ghost energy into electricity, thus eliminating all ghost threats forever, if it even gets the chance to work before it gets destroyed by the creator's daughter. Reviewers will recieve a guarantee that they made my day. COMPLETE!
1. Summary: Read Before You Judge

**Danny Phantom: What Happened Next**

By ~PrennCooder

Edited by ~NosillaParvatir

Danny Phantom copyright of Butch Hartman & Nickelodeon

Prenn Thrift presents to you

The formal edited copy of

Danny Phantom: What Happened Next

In its entirety

Complete with its summary.

Danny Fenton isn't _back_, he never left. :P

This is what happened after Phantom Planet.

We all know how the story ended, how our beloved hero saved the world. How Tuck became mayor and how Danny and Sam flew off dramatically into the sunset.

But what happened to Valerie? Surely she did not just fall off the face of the earth. And she definitely did NOT end up with Tucker. Valerie did make a new friend of sorts. A girl named Cecelia.

And Jazz? She went off to college, far, far away from Amity Park and its ghost oddities. She's still a member of Danny's Team Phantom, though.

In the series, it was unclear whether or not Danny's class had moved onward toward sophomore year because in Reality Trip it was summer and there was more school episodes shown after that. I have decided that they already had sophomore year and they are now juniors. This is not AU, it's just the continuation.

This novel does contain OCs (Cecelia, Garth and Wenn) but they are not Mary-sues or Gary-stus. Just something I'd like to say – I never approved of DxS, and there is only a little bit of it in the beginning. I accept all other pairings, but DxS is just too wrong. I almost didn't include it at all, but I know how much people get annoyed when cannon is ignored. I am one of those who get annoyed.

By the way, this story is a combination of Danny Phantom: Anonymous Trackers, Race To Christmas, December 31st, I Wish You Remembered, Danny Phantom X, and my oneshot series. Since all of them are a series, I decided to merge them into one big novel and edit over it. It will be over 100,000 words guaranteed! Isn't that great?

Anyways, in this story, Paulina is not portrayed as the shallow caricature she is often misinterpreted for. Valerie is portrayed realistically, and not as an evil trigger-happy sociopath. Valerie is one of my fave characters, and she should be treated respectfully because she IS cannon and she DOES have a crush on Danny and it's not fair that in Phantom Planet she just stood by and let Danny slip away.

Wow, that felt good to say.

Anyways, respect my opinions, and I'll respect yours. We all love the show, right? So why can't we all get along?

The **Pairings**: DannyxValerie, DannyxPaulina DannyxCecelia, TuckerxDanielle, SamxGarth, JackxMaddie, DashxPaulina, SkulkerxEmber, JohnnyxKitty

Reviews requested, so that I know people are reading this.


	2. Prologue: The Continuing Story

**Danny phantom: What Happened Next**

By ~PrennCooder

Re edited by ~PrennCooder and ~NosillaParvatir

Danny has to decide whether or not he wants the whole world to remember his secret. And is he really meant to be with Sam?

Clockwork makes an appearance in this prologue.

The prologue really sets the mood for the whole thing.

It's gonna be great! Hope you all agree!

**Prologue: The Continuing Story**

_They were fourteen. _

_Danny Phantom had just saved the world from a disaster. He and his friends—Sam, Tucker, and Jazz—let's just say that they were going to be big heroes now to both our world and the ghost world. Because all ghosts know that their zone is the flip side of our world._

_Our world was about to be shattered into space dust by the Disasteroid when Danny had the idea to turn the earth intangible so the asteroid would just pass through harmlessly. But, that took a lot of power. It also took the help of a gazillion ghosts. All the ghosts in the ghost zone. Danny's enemies, friends, allies, everybody. They, together with the humans, teamed up to save the world. And the mission was a success. _

_Danny refused to attend his own hero ceremony because he had some unfinished business to do. Sam Manson, Danny's best gal friend and the reason he had his powers, was standing right there. He took her by her hand and flew the two of them on top of a big hill to watch the sun set. Then he gave her his father's class ring. _

_He knew in his heart that he had wanted to attend his ceremony. He didn't want to tell Sam because he thought it might spoil the moment. Ah yes, the moment. It was so perfect. They both just had all this excitement stirred up within them from nearly dying and then saving the world. _

_And Danny could always have Tucker tell him all the deets later anyways. _

_Right now, Danny was going to have his first real date with this girl. It was about time that he gave her a chance._

_Sam was the last girl Danny thought he'd end up with. But that was years ago that he thought that. Now, here they were, together. The mood just seemed to be right. _

_Everybody else wanted them together._

_Danny's whole class had decided that he and Sam would end up together no matter what._

_Danny never thought that._

_Until now, when, she was staring into the ghostly green eyes of Danny Phantom. He knew that she wasn't the one he'd end up with forever—he wasn't in love with her, he was just attracted to her at the moment, because she was a girl and she was very much available—she was at least worth a date._

_He'd go from there and then decide if they should go on another._

_He picked her up, and they flew off dramatically. _

_But what next?_

_As they were flying, they felt like they were on top of the world. Down below were the people waving at the Phantom hero and thanking him. Danny smiled back. All this new attention he'd be getting might be awkward, but he wouldn't ever regret doing what he did. He had saved the world. _

_And there was no way that he'd ever let the attention go to his head. That would spoil all the fun of being a teenage boy. (Sarcasm.)_

_Sam admired the statue of Danny Phantom that stood proudly in the center of Amity Park Square. _

_After a while of skimming the clouds, the pair of them sat down by the monumental caption of Danny. By that time, the crowd had left and the ceremony was over. Dusk was all around them—Sam's favorite time of day. A shroud of mist laced across the image of the moon. _

"_So, what are you going to do now? You seem to keep a firm mind about everything these days." Sam said._

"_Well, um, of course I'll need the help of you and Tucker. I could never imagine fighting ghosts without you guys." Danny sighed. "In a few days, I'll be going to talk to the President."_

"_Wow! That's great."_

"_I can see you're not totally thrilled. You can't hide these things from me, you know. You're goth, so you're rarely that happy. I know you're happy for me, but I also know you want me to stay. how long have you liked me anyways?"_

"_Since you were the first person to treat me normal even though I dressed like a goth. And then you, me and Tucker became the best of friends." Sam blushed through her sorry attempt of keeping her stoic expression. "I don't want you to go." Sam said softly._

_There was a moment of silence, there, as the new couple watched the sun set finalize. A pair of birds flew overhead. The scenery was peaceful. Relaxed. The opposite of rushing. Danny didn't like to rush into things. He's easygoing. He's not afraid of toil or loss. He's not even afraid of the bad guys anymore._

_He's afraid of losing those closest to him. _

_Like Tucker, Sam, Valerie, Jazz, and the rest of his friends and family. _

"_I don't want to turn into a girl who nags you to go in the direction I want you to. What I want is for you to make your own decisions." Sam looked at the boy. He seemed distant. "Danny?"_

"_I feel like if I don't go, I'll be missing out on a great opportunity."_

_Sam nodded._

"_I'm going to go." He looked her straight in her purple eyes. "But I'll be back. I'll be exactly the same as I was before I left. I promise." _

_The moon seemed to look away disapprovingly while he kissed her._

_It was so awkward, kissing Sam. _

_It felt so wrong, but yet so very right._

_She wanted him, that's for sure._

_He could tell now. he wasn't always so clueless, ya know._

It's late August. It had been four months since infamous hero Danny Phantom's idea saved humanity from a gigantic asteroid that would have destroyed the entire earth. It was a shock to everybody that this heroic ghost teen was also half-human, better known as a halfa. The world didn't know what to make of it, but they accepted it nevertheless.

There had been a lot of changes in Amity Park, Colorado as well. Jack and Maddie Fenton had adopted Danielle as their child and they had been homeschooling her because she was a clone and didn't know all the basic school lessons. But she was a quick learner and she thinks she'll be able to start high school next year.

After Valerie had seen that Danny Fenton and Danny Phantom are one and the same, she didn't like it. She remembered some of the things that he did and put all the pieces together to realize that he was only ever a good guy. And she felt guilty for all the times she'd tried to hunt him down and blast him to bits. But she never told him how she felt about that because now he was dating his best gal friend, Sam.

Danny had been dating Sam ever since that one day at sunset during Danny's hero ceremony. He had given her his dad's class ring and then carried her off into the setting sun. After that, they sat on top of a building and held hands while they talked about the future.

"_I'll be on the news for interviews this next week." Danny said._

"_I'll be watching." She said with an eager smile._

"_And Oprah wanted me on her show too. And I haven't gotten a chance to check my email inbox but I'm sure it's full. I'll have to get a new one that's more private. And my dad wants me to be his ghost-fighting sidekick, which is a thought I'd appreciate but I won't have time for. And then I'll have to find a job to pay for Astronaut College because I really want to go."_

"_Sounds like you've really got a lot on your plate right now." She looked down and let her dangling feet swoosh back and forth in the wind. _

_As the air brushed by her black combat boots, it made a strange sound. Danny floated over head to survey the city like he did almost every night. Earlier this night, he had saved this world. So he might as well take the time to get to know it. _

"_Yes, but I'm glad I've got you and Tucker and Danielle to help me."_

"_And Jazz too."_

"_Well, I've sorta relieved her of all of this so that she can go to college and live her life without having to worry about mine."_

"_That's…so sweet of you. You're always thinking about everyone else except yourself."_

"_So what will you be doing this summer?"_

"_Oh, ya know, just standing out I guess. I'll be supporting you every step of the way."_

"_That's what I'm counting on." He leaned in to give her a kiss._

And that summer was the busiest summer Danny had ever had. Dash Baxter, formerly a school bully and a sports hero, wanted to be Danny's friend. Dash admitted he always thought Danny Phantom was really cool.

Suddenly famous people emailed Danny or even called him on the phone. A news anchorman gave him the bribe of a fancy sports car to be on his show.

But Danny turned him down.

Danny found himself wide-awake one night wishing that all of this had never happened. He was one of the most famous people in the world. _Nothing_ could change that, he thought glumly. He wanted his old life back. He didn't think his life was meant to be like this—with fans watching his every move. And he thought about Vlad, too.

Vlad had always been Danny's bitter arch enemy. And Danny knew Vlad was still trapped in space somewhere. So why hadn't he come back? Danny couldn't stand the not-knowing. It bothered him almost as much as the feeling that this wasn't even his real life.

His girlfriend was constantly worrying about him. He worried too. And so did Tucker and Danielle. (Danielle, by the way, kept her halfa secret to herself) Danny was afraid that one day he'd let it all go to his head. And then he wouldn't be himself anymore. This had to stop. And there was only one person who could help him.

"I still don't understand _why_ you want me to do this". A blue ghost with red eyes and a purple hood crossed his arms and stared back at a ghostly teenager with snow white hair and glowing green eyes.

"It's not supposed to be this way. At first, it was cool and all, but I can't go on like this. It's not right! I don't even know who I am anymore don't you remember back before the world knew my secret and everything was all simpatico?" the ghost boy looked down at the ground he was floating above.

The blue ghost paced. He stroked his long white beard. His pacing ended in front of a large circular screen. On the screen was a portal to a place called Amity Park. The portal was invisible on the other side. "Danny, the world needs you. Without you, there would be great disasters in both our worlds. You help keep the balance between good and evil."

"_Won't you help me_?"

The blue ghost sighed. "Allright. I'll do it. I'll make it so that nobody in the human world remembers you and Danny Fenton are one and the same. _None_ of the humans will remember except for you and your friends Sam and Tucker and your two sisters Jasmine and Danielle."

"Thank you. Thank you very much, Clockwork!" Danny said gratefully smiling.

Clockwork picked up his staff and tapped the portal to Amity Park. "But this will have great consequences. Your future will be changed. Whether it's for better or worse is all up to you."

"You don't know how much this means to me!" Danny said as he was about to fly through the portal. "I'll finally get to go back to the way my life used to be. I'll get to be a normal junior!"

"You'll never be normal."

"Normal for _me_, I suppose."

"WAIT!" Clockwork commanded. Danny stopped short before returning to his home. "I assume you understand that what I've just done will change things you might not even think about. You've actually put yourself in _more_ danger than you were before when the world new your secret."

"Yeah, yeah, I know altering anything will change the future, but who's to say I can't make this a better future than the one I would have had?" Danny smiled proudly. Clockwork waved him on to his home and Danny went through the portal.

"Or a worse one." Clockwork said to himself.

Review this story please.

Your reviews are encouragement to me to continue the story!

Love you guys


	3. Chapter 1: Improvements All Around

**Danny Phantom: What Happened Next**

By ~PrennCooder

Edited by ~NosillaParvatir

With help from ~RinRox

I changed it up a bit! I hope you like! This story is my new pride and joy!

Btw, I changed Cecelia's last name from Navajo to Hazel.

**Chapter 1: Improvements All Around**

Danny Fenton was walking home from school one day with his girlfriend Sam Manson and their best friend Tucker Foley. The three of them walked home together almost every day. But today they were going to Danny's house.

They were taken by surprise, when, out of the blue skies a giant withered dragon attacked Danny. Taken off guard, Danny was knocked to the ground before he had a chance to change into his phantom form. As Danny lay on the ground, groaning in pain, the dragon nabbed Sam and threatened to burn her to a crisp by breathing fire on her. The goth's screams were so loud that they could have woken up the entire town if it was nighttime. But it was daytime, and the city was bustling so loud that surely her screams were not heard beyond the nearby street.

Tucker anxiously rummaged through his and Danny's backpacks searching for a device called the Fenton Thermos that could suck up ghosts and trap them within. "Danny? Where's the thermos!"

"I left it at home!"

Tucker panicked.

Danny had a huge migraine and it was affecting his vision. He must have hit the cement harder than he thought.

And then out of nowhere, a black van pulled up and out jumped the dynamic duo—the Government Guys in white. With new uniforms and new gadgets, they quarantined that dragon ghost fiend militarial style.

All Danny and Tucker could do was stand by and watch. Danny knew that he couldn't go ghost here or the Guys in White would capture him.

Danny had never seen them capture a ghost so quickly before. Usually, their amount of success resulted in their discouragement, but not today. They even had what looked like their own version of a Fenton thermos, only this one was bigger and fancier and shiny with more buttons.

As soon as the guys left, Sam stormed over to Danny and Tucker.

"Since when are the Guys in White actually CAPABLE of doing their job?" Sam said in a low tone. "Something's not right."

"No kidding." Tucker said under his breath.

Sam cast him a glare.

"What?" He asked innocently. "Dude, this is the worst PMS I've ever seen." He whispered to Danny. "I feel sorry for ya, bro."

"Ahem." Danny got their attention again. "I know something's different about them. There's no need to re-state the obvious."

Sam rolled her eyes.

"So the Guys in White got an upgrade? So what? They're still _miles_ away from my home so I think we'll all be perfectly safe." Danny said.

"But don't you think it's strange how they just happened to be here? Just minutes after that dragon showed up?" Tucker said smartly.

"That's what I was gonna say." Sam crossed her arms.

Danny sighed.

"Tomorrow you'll need to make sure you have the thermos with you at all times." Sam nagged Danny as the trio resumed their course for Danny's house.

She was allowed to nag him, but he wasn't allowed to nag her.

Problem number one.

After they had some junk food and a monster movie marathon, Tucker left. By then, it was nightfall. Danny didn't know what to say to Sam because they already hung out at school and at each other's' houses. Sam scooted closer to him on the couch.

Danny stood up awkwardly and pulled up his pants. "You should probably be getting…"

Sam put her finger to his lips. "Home? No, Danny, don't say _that_. How's about we go for a flight around town? I know how much you like seeing the city at night."

To prevent her from kissing him, he pulled her into a tight hug. It wasn't that she was a bad kisser or anything, he just didn't like to kiss her. Maybe it was the purple lipstick. Or maybe that was just an excuse.

Problem number two.

Gosh, she was skinny.

Really, really skinny.

Problem number three.

"Sam, have you ever considered eating a double veggie burger with a large fry and chocolate milkshake and a sundae with everything on it?"

Sam broke out laughing and she hugged him tighter.

"I'm serious."

She stopped her chortling and let go of him. "Oh. You think I'm too small?"

"Small, no. Skinny, yes. We're friends before romancers, you know that. I'm just being honest because I care."

"Right." She said.

"Don't take any offense to it."

"I'm not." She lied.

Danny could tell. She always took everything so seriously.

Problem number four.

"And no, we can't go out tonight because I need to study. I haven't studied in days, and it's reflected in my grades. I'll already be up all night, so…yeah. G'night, Sam."

Sam hung her head depressedly as she walked out the door.

Danny was talking to Tucker over Skype while they did their homework together.

"Gee, man, she's really annoying." Tucker said from the comfort of his home desk.

"No she's not!" Said Danny defensively.

Tucker raised one eyebrow.

Danny knew his best friend was right.

"Why didn't you get with someone like Valerie, man? She was real hot. I know she was never interested in me. She always had a little crush on you, and according to rumor, she still does."

Danny gave it some thought. He pictured himself and Valerie together in his mind—holding hands, taking a walk in the park…and he realized how much he still cared for her.

In a city outside of Amity Park, the government Guys in White are working on a new top-secret mission and project. They hired a man named Dr. Mortimer Hazel.

Mortimer was a widower in his late forties. He had been living in Davis, Antarctica for the past twenty-some years for research. He was formerly ridiculed by his bosses who thought he was insane for believing Antarctica had some special connection to a zone full of ghosts and other mythical monsters. It was only recently that the Guys in White had learned of Mortimer's work and decided to offer him a job.

In the remote cold land of ice and snow, Mortimer Hazel had his whole lifetime to obsess over ghosts. His interests ranged anywhere from hunting them to capturing them to obliterating them to ultimately destroying them. He finally created a blueprint to an item that would theoretically convert ecto-energy into electricity—and it was his greatest work.

This was when he received a very important phone call from the government Guys in White.

They heard of the claims he had given to magazines, and they wanted to find out for themselves if he was legit. So Mortimer was given a large house free of charge, one of the many "business propositions" the government had prepared to give him in exchange for his much-appreciated work.

In an instant, Mortimer packed up all his things and moved to Colorado with his daughter in tow. He looked up at the large manor house that now stood in front of him. It had three floors—three floors of splendid elegance. And it had a large driveway and a lovely backyard.

"Dad, why are we doing this?" Asked a girl with dark brown hair that went down to her elbows and great, round lavender-colored eyes.

"Cecelia, I told you already. The government is finally recognizing my work. I've got a real job now." Mortimer said through his thick dark moustache.

"And what's this about a _school_ you were telling me about?"

"It's called Casper High. Here in America, the kids go to school. I've been homeschooling you your whole life. I think it's about time you get to know some teenagers your age."

"That'll be strange. Nobody will believe I'm from Antarctica. It's so warm here, don't you think?"

"Don't you like the warm air? It's fresh and we don't have to wear masks to protect us from the icy air back home."

"I suppose I can get used to it."

"Good. Now let's get settled in there and then I can tell you all about my job." Mortimer was not the kind of man to get over-excited about anything. He was rarely happy or mad at all. He was most often in a state of enduring neutrality that Cecelia tended to ignore.

Cecelia obeyed and helped her father carry in things from her house. There were only a few items left now. One of them was a scrapbook from Cecelia's youth. She used to look at it on those nights that she couldn't fall asleep. The first picture was one with her and her parents. Cecelia was real young in the first few pictures—only a baby.

Cecelia remembered her mother and how she had been killed by a ghost (her father never let her forget it) and Cecelia was only three years old when it had happened.

Cecelia winced, though she really didn't remember her mother. Cecelia cringed at the pictures that followed these. There Cecelia was, with the long hair she had grown down to her ankles as a child, standing around and smiling awkwardly because she was not photogenic in the least. She wasn't into makeup yet and her eyebrows were not perfect and she rarely brushed her hair.

She had a strong body from climbing and running and playing dangerous games in the ice with the few other kids that were her age back home. Together, they used to play games to test each other's strengths and to satisfy that childish desire for adrenaline and physical combat. This was a desire that Cecelia had not outgrown, even now that she was sixteen.

Cecelia and her father sat at the large dining room table and he stared at her intently. "What?" She asked him.

"How would you like to help me hunt a _ghost_?" He knew she could not resist the thrill of doing something new and exciting like getting involved with a spectral creature.

Cecelia craved adventure and action.

How could she say no?

But how could she say yes either?

She had no idea how to hunt ghosts!

She wouldn't know where to start!

She just knew that her father hated them, and hat taught her to feel the same way. "I'll try. I suppose…I can _learn_." She gave her father a brave look.

"Excellent." Mortimer stood up. "I'll tell the Guys in White about you and I'm sure they will allow you to help me, seeing as how this town is chock full of ghosts. While I'm working on constructing my invention, you can go to school. And in your free time, they'll have someone train you how to catch a ghost. Once you have caught one, then we'll be able to test my invention. And then we'll be heroes, rich, famous heroes."

"Brilliant." Cecelia smiled.

Later in the week, Mortimer and his daughter went over to the Guys in White government building. It was large and very scientifical on the inside. There were gadgets and buttons everywhere, and unimportant technicians monitoring them. Two guys in white suits approached Mortimer and Cecelia.

"Hello, you must be the Hazels." Said one of the men.

"Mr. Gray come here!" the second guy in white hollered at a strongly built black man with a beard and glasses. He looked middle-aged.

"Hello, Dr. Hazel, I'm Damon Gray. I'd like to be the first to buy your invention. My lab—Axion labs—is constantly being threatened by ghosts. One of them is that Phantom kid—anyways, I too have a daughter. And being a single father, you can understand the heights I'd go to protect her…"

"You'll be the first to acquire my invention, yes." Mortimer reassured the man.

"So your lab is like, haunted?" Cecelia crossed her arms in disbelief.

"Yes. Er, this ghost teenager disturbs the lab a lot. His name is Danny Phantom. Some people regard him as a superhero, since he did help save the world from the Disasteroid."

"Oh yeah I saw that on the news." Cecelia remembered.

"But that does _not_ give him permission to trash my lab when he's battling his enemies! I won't have it!" Damon looked determined. "My daughter, Valerie is a ghost hunter. I appreciate that she's taking initiative here but I don't know what I'd do if she was seriously injured."

"Will I see Valerie at school?" Cecelia asked.

"Yes. She's a junior."

"_I'm_ a junior!"

"Splendid! I'm sure you two will get along great."

One of the guys in white cleared his throat. "Now that this little friendship meeting is over, let's get to work." He, Mortimer, Damon, and the other guy in white walked away, leaving Cecelia standing there.

A young man approached Cecelia. He had wavy brown hair with a streak of red in it. He was tall, and he had a black shirt with a dragon eye on it. That was underneath his lab coat. "Hello, Ms. Hazel. I'm Garth Lloyd. I'll be training you in ghost hunting."

"How old are you?" Cecelia asked with her typical judgmental attitude.

"I'm nineteen." Garth replied reluctantly. "Come into this lab and I'll introduce you to our weaponry."

"Whoa." Cecelia whispered to herself. She looked around the room to see weapons galore—ecto guns, booster guns, rays, blasters, shooters, and even one that shot arrows and one that immobilized.

"Lucky for you, you're in excellent physical shape. That means you won't have to go through boot camp." Garth began to give her a lecture on ghost-hunting. But Cecelia wasn't listening.

Cecelia forgot all about Garth and studied the weapons.

"Are you listening to me, Hazel?" Garth sneered. "If you want to be taken seriously by your prey then you have to get serious about this job!"

"I am serious." Cecelia whirled around. Her hair sweeped gently around her shoulders. She had a look upon her face of fierce determination. "Train me."

Review please!

I accept constructive criticism and am always open to suggestions.

And if you have questions, please do not hesitate to ask.


	4. Chapter 2: Meet The Hazels

**Danny Phantom what happened next**

By ~PrennCooder

Edited by ~NosillaParvatir

If you haven't heard of Cecelia by now, you're sure to love her.

**Chapter 2: Meet The Hazels**

It was now time for Cecelia to go to school at Casper High. She was walking to her first class. The teacher's name was Mr. Lancer. He was a fat man and had an old, wrinkled face and a little black goatee.

Cecelia found his class boring. She caught herself daydreaming in and out all day waiting for a ghost to show up so she could blast it. That was the only thing keeping her here in this small boring town anyways. But there was no sight of that phantom kid either…

"Sorry I'm late, Mr. Lancer." A chubby dark-skinned girl walked into the classroom she stumbled along carrying an armful of books.

"Take your seat, Ms. Gray. I'll have a word with your father about all of your tardies." Mr. Lancer peered down on the girl with angry eyes.

The girl took a seat near the back. After class was over, Cecelia approached her. "Hi. I'm Cecelia and I'm new."

"Fantastic." What Valerie meant to say was "I don't care," but she didn't say it because that would have been inappropriately rude.

"Your father and my father, Mr. Hazel, are business associates. And I believe I met your father yesterday." Valerie still didn't look very interested. "Your father said you like to hunt ghosts. Well, I do too."

Valerie's eyes sparkled. "I'm Valerie."

She smiled at the thought of meeting a fellow teen ghost-hunter. "Then I suppose we'll have a lot in common." Valerie smiled.

At lunch, Cecelia and Valerie sat together at the table Valerie liked to sit at. At the other end of the table were the really popular kids. Cecelia glanced at them.

Valerie noticed Cecelia's confused stare. "Oh, that's Dash and Paulina. They're dating. And there's Kwan and Star too."

"They're dating too?"

"Yes. Those two couples have been together since freshman year."

"Geez, you know everyone at this school. You know who likes to sit at every table too."

"Well, it _is_ high school…"

"I've been homeschooled all my life."

"Ah. Where'd you live before here?"

"Antarctica."

"Antarctica?" Valerie rolled her eyes.

"Yes." Cecelia lowered her voice to a whisper. "After my mother was killed by a ghost, my father became obsessed with killing _them_. He only wanted to help out to make sure nobody had to suffer the same terrible fate. Back home, my friends taught me to be tough and fight with skills they learned in wars and fights and horseplay like that. And in my free time I like to meditate."

"_Meditate_?" She asked skeptically.

"My father always told me it was good to get in touch with my Native American heritage."

"That's a crazy backstory you've got. Not sure I believe it all, but you'd seem like an interesting person even if it wasn't true."

Cecelia shrugged. "Hey, who's that over there?" Cecelia noticed three teenagers migrating over to an empty table.

"Oh those losers? The Goth chick is Sam Manson; you should probably stay away from her. She has the world's most irritating attitude. She thinks she's better than everybody and she doesn't like meat. She's bossy and rude and she is the most jealous girlfriend I ever seen." Valerie noticed Cecelia's surprised look "Too mean?"

Cecelia nodded.

Valerie didn't seem to agree with the critique. "Well I suppose it's fair then that she's at the bottom of the social food chain and I'm at the top. Or at least close to it, since I hang out with Paulina."

"Paulina's the pretty one right?"

"Yeah. She's turning out to be a better person than I thought she was. Before I got to know her, I thought she was a total snob. But she's not. She can be a bit of a ditz, though, but in a good way. Although I usually hang out with Star."

"Well, I'm just glad I didn't make friends with a meanie like Sam."

"It's hard to keep from hating her. It takes all I have not to just go over there right now and tell Danny how horrible she is." Valerie stared at that black-haired boy from a distance. Cecelia presumed him to be Danny, Sam's boyfriend. When Sam stood up to throw something out, Valerie's head snapped back at Cecelia and she quickly asked, "What do _you_ think of her?"

"Me? I barely know her. She dresses kinds weird, but hey, I like pink and there are a lot of people who hate pink. But Sam is _way_ too skinny."

Valerie nodded in agreement. "Well, ya better get used to her. There are a lot of weirdoes in this school."

"That boy with the black hair over at the loser table looks like a bit of a geek."

"Danny? No. He is _not_ a geek at all. He's better than average looking and he's got a nice personality. He's just really shy, and kind of ordinary. But he smiles nice, and he has blue eyes. Blue eyes are nice, right?" Valerie chuckled nervously. "I even used to like him. But his friend, Tucker Foley, really is a loser. He's a techno geek, and he thinks he's a ladies' man."

Cecelia smiled, which she didn't do very often. Then she chuckled. "Well _there's_ an oxymoron for you! Does he always wear that silly red hat?"

"…Yeah." Valerie added to the laughter.

"Oh geez. Every school has that one table full of the people that don't fit in any of the social groups." Cecelia shook her head.

"That's them."

"It's just like television…"

Somebody tapped Cecelia's shoulder.

"Hey Cecelia, I'm Paulina. Welcome to the A-List table. You should try out for cheerleading. You look like you could be a cheerleader."

"Um…that was random. But uh, thanks, Paulina. I've never been told I should be a cheerleader before."

"You look a lot like me, which means you probably have the skill. You should at least try it. In no time at all, you'll be mega-popular! Just like _me_!"

"Maybe I'll give it a thought—"

"And then after cheerleading practice you'll get to meet that sweet-hearted hottie the ghost boy!" Paulina squealed. She clapped her pretty little manicured hands together. "He's a real sweetheart! He even saved my life countless times! Hews my hero…" Paulina swooned

"The ghost boy…" Cecelia smiled mischievously.

"Yeah," Valerie said bitterly, "His name is Danny Phantom." Valerie enunciated through clenched teeth.

"_Danny Phantom_? You don't say…maybe I'll try out for cheerleading after all…" Cecelia gave Valerie a devious look and in an instant Valerie understood and processed the message.

"I'm in." Valerie whispered as she reflected Cecelia's smile.

After school, Paulina and Valerie found Cecelia. She was stuffing her sweaty gym clothes in her big red gym bag by the lockers.

"Come on follow me, _cheerleader_!" Paulina took Cecelia's arm and practically dragged her to the gymnasium.

"You're a cheerleader too, Val?" Cecelia looked at Valerie.

"I have to keep up my fitness every chance I get. And this is the only extra-curricular activity that works all the muscles I need for," Valerie's voice turned into a whisper, "Ghost hunting."

"One two three four!" Paulina turned on the music and she and the other cheerleaders began to do a rehearsed dance. They all moved in synch with muscular precision. Their legs snapped to the beat. Ponytails whirred around but none of them seemed to mind it. Through it all, they kept serious expressions on their faces. They were very focused.

"I think I'll just watch for now." Cecelia said to herself. She leaned her back against the gym wall.

"Okay!" Paulina agreed.

Cecelia looked down at her own body. She had a lot of muscle, but she was not thin like most of the cheerleaders. Cecelia estimated Paulina's weight at 120 pounds. Cecelia knew her own weight was somewhere in the 150s. She hoped that cheerleading would aid in taking off the extra weight. Cecelia decided in her mind that even though she didn't know how to be a cheerleader, she would learn.

Out of the corner of her eye, Cecelia saw her father appear. He was so brisk and tall and shady that he was like a ghost. When he did that, she sometimes got a few chills sent down her back. It was creepy, and she wasn't the only person who thought so.

"You want to be a cheerleader, Cecelia?" He asked his daughter as he approached her with his big, sturdy footsteps.

"Uhm…yes. I supposed that all the extra fitness stuff would help me with ghost-hunting. You know, it would help me be stronger and healthier, and more agile too."

"Hmm. I see." Her father considered. "Then I think it's a good idea. Although I never figured you for the cheerleading type."

"Not yet, but I will be." Cecelia smiled. "Can I stay to watch the practice?" she asked.

Cecelia's father nodded.

The two of them stood there for an hour just watching the talented girls do their thing. There were frontflips and backflips and splitz and helicopters and then a pyramid at the end. Paulina broke up the practice and then she and Valerie walked right up to Cecelia.

"So are you ready to join?" Paulina said in her usual, uppity tone of voice. She twisted her hair, a habit she had developed while waiting for other people to talk.

"Yes." Cecelia said proudly. Paulina hugged her lightly and then stepped away, smiling cheerfully.

Cecelia gave Valerie a look. It took Valerie's brain a moment to realize what Cecelia was trying to convey without saying something. Valerie smiled at Cecelia for that very reason. She now knew exactly why Cecelia wanted to be a cheerleader. And Valerie knew that she would stop at nothing to kick some ghost butt with her new sidekick, Cecelia.

Paulina walked over to her friend Star to tell her the news about Cecelia.

"You must be Damon's daughter." Mr. Hazel looked at Valerie.

"Yes."

"I'm very interested in the sort of work that you do. Tell me, where did you get your suit?"

"Uh, his name is Mr. Masters and he's very private." Valerie said rashly.

"Never heard of him. But you can't be talking about _Vlad_ Masters, the creature that tried to save the world from the Disasteroid?"

"Yes, that's the one. At the time that he gave me the suit, he was the mayor. And I didn't realize he was half…monster."

Cecelia shuddered. "I saw that on the news, it was everywhere. Imagine a being that can change from human to ghost like that—isn't it disturbing?"

"I know, right! And afterwards, Tucker Foley became the mayor but that only lasted until he turned the job over to his father."

"Tell me more about this suit. Is it high tech?" Mr. Hazel asked Valerie.

"I'm working on giving it an upgrade myself. You'll have to see it once it's finished. It's going to be great!"

"I'm sure it will." Said Mr. Hazel. "We have to go now. It was nice meeting you. And I'm glad to know that Cecelia has made some good friends on her first day."

"Daaad." Cecelia gave her father that stoic teenager look as they walked to their van.

Lately, Cecelia had been discovering that she had more in common with Paulina than she originally thought. And Paulina was starting to really warm up to Cecelia. They were becoming very good friends.

Cecelia was pleased to realize that she was turning into one of those girls that stayed up all night talking to her friends Paulina, Valerie and Star, about nonsensical things from childhood memories to the hottest boys to the cutest clothes.

One day, Paulina invited Cecelia over for a mani-pedi. At first, Cecelia was reluctant, but then she realized that the newfound pride she had in the clean, pretty nails she now had gave her just the amount of confidence booster she needed to keep herself in cheerleading.

But Cecelia was being very careful not to turn into a _complete_ airhead. However, she admitted she _liked_ the change. Her body was becoming more firm and defined with all the new muscle and she was losing that little bit of pudge she'd had all her life that made her look just a smidge too large in pictures.

Her face was elongating, too, with all of the weight loss. And being around girls made her stop eating cheeseburgers and fries and focus more on salads and fruits and all the other pretty foods that girls eat.

One day, Cecelia was brushing her hair in the rough manner that she always did. It was getting longer, and it was full of knots. She always wanted to cut it but she never had time.

And then she remembered the way that Valerie brushed her hair. Valerie's hair was only a few inches shorter than Cecelia's was, but it was twice as frizzy. "This is going to take a while." Reluctantly, Cecelia sat down and gently combed through her hair beginning at the bottom.

Eventually, she ran through it with the brush one more time and found that here were absolutely no knots.

"Wow." Cecelia was happy.

She stood up and looked in the mirror. Then she walked out of the room and walked back in to make sure if what she saw was the truth. She looked in the mirror and a woman stared back at her.

Cecelia felt her cheeks, then her hair, then her chest and abs. "Do I really look like that?"

She asked in disbelief. It wasn't beauty, it was strength. And that's what Cecelia always wanted to see—a strong woman staring back at her with a strange fire in her eyes and a mouth that knows exactly what to say and arms that know how to throw a punch and legs that can run and kick and long, _shiny_ hair. That's just what she saw.

Leave a review please! It would make me very happy to know what people think of my stories! All review accepted, feel free to comment or PM me.


	5. Chapter 3: The Breakup

**Danny phantom: what happened next**

By ~PrennCooder

Danny breaks up with his howwible girlfriend

Finally

We've waited long enough!

I just couldn't hold it back any longer, so here ya go

**Chapter 3: The Breakup**

It was another week and it was lunch time. Valerie and Cecelia sat down at their usual lunch table, the one that they shared with the popular kids on the other half. "I really think it's going down today." Valerie said to Star.

Star's eyes brightened with mischief. "I know, I know." Star smiled.

"Did I miss something?" Cecelia searched for an answer among the A-listers.

"No, not really, Star just thinks it's hilarious to keep track of the losers' love lives." Kwan said.

"What? It _is_ fun. Like for example, today, Danny and Sam are about to break up. It's totally about time. They've been arguing all week." Star said.

"I always knew those two lovebirds would end up together." Dash said with a nonchalant attitude.

"But you never said anything about them _staying_ together." Kwan said.

"Their personalities, like, _totally_ clash." Star pulled out a brush and mirror from her purse and started brushing hair.

"That's because they make a HORRIBLE couple." Paulina said.

"Whatever. Come over here, Paulina, so that I can blather on about sports and other manly stuff you don't care about." Paulina obeyed.

That left Valerie and Cecelia. "And _I _always knew they were so wrong for each other." Valerie said. She took a bite out of her taco.

Cecelia just had a revelation. "You still like him, don't you!" she realized.

Valerie's eyes widened and she had a spit take all over the table Star and Paulina just looked at her from across the table. Valerie was so embarrassed.

"I knew it!"

"You're cleaning that up." Valerie handed Cecelia a napkin.

"Fair enough." Cecelia said. "So…just admit it already." Cecelia said after she finished cleaning up the mess.

"Allright, allright, maybe a little." Valerie whispered.

Cecelia gave Valerie a look.

"Ohh, no. You wouldn't."

"Yes, I'm going to help you get together with him."

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no-"

"Whaaat? You like him, and according to you, he'll be breaking up with his girlfriend _today_. Now's your chance. After school, he'll feel _so_ lonely and heartbroken, and that's where you come in."

"I wouldn't. I couldn't."

"But you will."

"Fine, fine." Valerie agreed. "Let's watch them and see what happens."

"You're such a creeper."

"I know."

A few lunch tables down was one table, empty, except for three teenagers. They were Danny, Sam, and Tucker.

"So what do you want to do after school today?" Tucker asked after taking a bite out of his cheeseburger.

"We can go to my house." Sam smiled at Danny. She put her little arm around his brooding shoulders. "Wait, no, my parents will be home."

"And they still don't like Danny?" Tucker whined. "Oh come on, who _doesn't_ get along with this guy?" Tucker pointed out Danny's good hair and his winning smile. The three friends chuckled a little bit.

"Actually, guys, I've been really busy lately. Ever since the Guys in White updated all of their weapons, they've been making more and more of an effort to capture me. Even worse, they've been running me out of a job by capturing all the town's ghosts so that I look like a fool."

"Well, we've got your back." Tucker said. "Don't worry, Danny. Just chill."

"We've been fighting the Guys in White all week and we haven't gone out on a _nice date_ in a _long time_." Sam looked at Danny yearningly.

"I know, I know, but we've got three papers due this week and I haven't had time to do them at all." Danny said in a sigh.

"Danny, don't start slacking off…" Sam warned.

"I'm not slacking off!"

"You're always playing your video games on the computer." Sam reminded him.

"That's not true! I haven't touched my video games in a month! What I've been _doing_ is some research on the Guys in White and all their new fancy weapons."

"Oh." Sam realized. She hated being wrong. She let her shoulders slump forward so that she could rest her elbows on the lunch table.

"Why don't we all go to dinner at Danny's today! Then we can all hang out!" Tucker idealized.

"Thank you for…inviting yourself to my house. Again." Danny sighed hopelessly with a grin on his face. It was just Tucker being Tucker.

"Well it'll be great, see? With your older sister away at college, we've basically got the house to ourselves, your parents being as oblivious as they are." Tucker smiled.

"You're forgetting about Danielle."

"N-no I'm not. She's no bother at all. I like her a lot." Tucker said. "She _is_ part of our team after all."

At Valerie's table…

"Will ya just go walk over there? You want him to notice you, right?" Cecelia egged Valerie onward.

"But I have no reason to be over there!" Valerie protested. She was just making excuses now.

"Here, throw this out." Cecelia handed Valerie an empty juice box. Valerie stood up. "Go on, go."

Valerie never thought she'd be mad because the trash can was near a certain table. She turned around after throwing the juice box out and there were Danny and his friends sitting at the nearby table. She noticed Danny sitting there, all cute 'n all. _Aw_.

"Hi Danny." She waved as she walked past the table.

"Hi Valerie." Danny felt awkward. He really didn't talk to her very much anymore.

"Hi Valerie!" Tucker smiled flirtatiously at her and made the click-click sound with his teeth. Valerie ignored him.

"_Hi_. _Valerie_." Sam crossed her arms and glared at Valerie until she was far away from the table. As usual, Danny was clueless.

Tucker followed her gaze, and with surprise, his eyebrows shot up. "Who is that hottie sitting at the popular table? She's been sitting there for a while now, but does anybody know her name?"

Danny turned around now. "Who?"

"The girl sitting across from Valerie and next to Paulina."

"I don't know, but she looks like trouble." Sam said.

"Paulina's probably going to take her under her wing and turn her into some sort of cheerleading little princess like she did with Star." Danny theorized.

"Yeah, right." Sam laughed at Danny's joke. "Good one."

"I wasn't saying that in a mean way. Do you have to take everything I say so literal?"

"Well, I expect you to say exactly what you're thinking. That's what having a relationship is all about." Sam said with a touch of pride in her voice. Danny turned around to face her.

He folded his arms in annoyance.

"Here we go again." Tucker clasped his hands over his ears and put his head down.

Danny and Sam always argued a lot, ever since the beginning of their relationship. Tucker was getting just a little tired of mediating between the two of them.

"Will you two…just stop it already." Tucker almost shouted. They both got quiet and looked at him. They were both hoping he had some solution to their problem.

"He should apologize, right Tucker?" Sam raised one eyebrow.

"No! She's being completely ridiculous, right Tucker?" Danny gave Tucker a gentle pat on the elbow.

"Ugh!" Tucker said in frustration. "I can't take it anymore Danny! And you too, Sam! You're _both_ being absurd! And you're _both_ wrong! This is why you two shouldn't be together! This is the kind of thing I've been trying to tell you about for months!"

Danny and Sam were just a little surprised at Tucker's outburst.

"Uh, Tuck, you of all people know how long I've liked Danny. And I really care about him." Sam turned to Danny. "You're my best friend…"

"Well, that's no excuse for bossin' him around all the time! Ever since you started going out with him you think it is okay to tell everybody what to do! You think you're always right!"

"That's not true!"

"Yes, it is. Jazz and Danielle told me. They've seen how you act with Danny because they live with him. Danielle told me one time you came over to their house and you tried to tell her to stay in her room."

"Because…I wanted to be with Danny…"

"This is getting just a little ridiculous guys!" Danny stopped them. "Yes, Sam, you are really bossy."

"I still love you."

"Then stop trying to change me."

"I'm not trying to change you!"

Danny sighed. "You're always telling me to stop playing video games and study…"

"You got an F on your last History test!"

"But I have a C in the class. And then you try to tell me to dress better on our dates…"

"You show up wearing a hoodie and shorts!"

"It's what I like! See, that's it! You're only concerned about what _you_ want. I'm not a perfect guy. And that's why I thought you loved me!"

"Don't say it…" Tucker said to himself as his eyes bounced from Sam to Danny awaiting Sam's response.

"Well, then I guess I shouldn't go to your house anymore." Sam crossed her arms and clenched her teeth.

"Well then I guess you shouldn't be my girlfriend anymore." Danny said.

Sam just walked away and out of the lunch room. Danny waited a moment and then sat back down. Tucker sat next to him and patted him on the back. "I'm here for ya, man. But aren't you going to chase after her?"

"No, actually, it actually feels better now to have said it. I really don't know what I was doing the whole time. You know, after the whole Disasteroid thing, I had all that adrenaline, ya know, and it was all kind of in the moment, and it seemed like the right time, and she was there, and the ring—"

"You never really had feelings for her, did you?"

Danny hesitated. He really didn't want to admit it. Sam was his best friend since kindergarten and she was also his first long-term girlfriend. "No." he finally said. He put his hand on his forehead and let out a long heap of a sigh.

"If you ask me, dude, I knew it wouldn't work out. I knew she always had a crush on you, but I liked my life a whole lot better when you two were just friends."

"Me too."

After school, Cecelia and Valerie passed Danny and Tucker in the hall. "Ooh, there he is." Cecelia teased. "You should go talk to him."

"Ugh, Cecelia will you stop it! He doesn't like me anymore. We barely talk at all. He's like one of those random people you're friends with on Facebook but don't actually associate with in real life."

"Maybe not now, but you used to." Cecelia jeered her friend.

"Stop it!" Valerie couldn't help but smile because she knew it was true.

"Oh come on. I'm just the kind of friend you need—the one who helps you break out of your shell and talk to guys."

"I know, I know, and that's exactly why I won't do it!"

"You just need a little confidence. You're the girl who trains me how to fight ghosts, and now you're telling me you can't go talk to some scruffy teenage boy?"

Valerie shook her head.

"You've got a hovering surfboard, a supersuit, and a blaster the size of Rhode Island and you're afraid of a little insecurity?"

"It's not that."

"Then what is it."

"It's Sam. Ugh, I hate her. She's always been so mean to me. And she's always acting suspicious as if she's got some big secret to hide that could change the world."

"Well, if you're not going to talk to Danny, then I do know something we _can_ do on the way to our fathers' workplace."

"What?"

"We can follow Sam. Let's see where she lives."

"But what if she lives far away?"

"It can't be too far—she walks home."

"Yeah, that's true. I've seen her walk with the boys many times."

"Well, then let's go, my stalker cohort. There she is." Cecelia pointed at Sam who was leaving the school by way of the gym exit. Valerie and Cecelia followed her quietly.

"Wait." Valerie whispered. "I have this bracelet that can turn me intangible like a ghost. It'll work for both of us, but we'll have to link arms so the intangibility can cover you too." Within an instant, Valerie and Cecelia turned see-through.

"Sweet!" Cecelia said with satisfaction.

Together, the two of them followed the goth girl silently until she made a turn at a large city house and went inside. Valerie and Cecelia turned around and faced the house.

"No. way. Manson's a rich kid. I would never have guessed, you know, because she doesn't dress the part. I don't understand-she could be so popular if she just waved around a little cash."

"Maybe she doesn't want to be popular."

Valerie turned off the intangibility and the two of them started walking to Valerie's house.

"Well that would fit her personality—"I'm better than everyone else just because I don't eat meat and don't care what people think of me." Well everybody else cares what people think of them, so why is she so special?"

"_Valerie_. Did she actually say that?"

"No. I'm just reading between the _ultra-recyclo-vegetarian_ lines."

"I'll admit she's strange but I know you're over-exaggerating just a bit because you don't like her."

"Hey you don't like her either."

"I don't have a crush on her ex-boyfriend."

"Touché."

Valerie opened the door to her house and then Cecelia followed her up to her bedroom. Valerie put on her red ghost hunting suit and Cecelia put on her own suit which was a yellowish –orange color. It was tight on her in the beginning, but now that she was losing weight it conformed more to her natural shape.

Cecelia put on some goggles and put her hair up in a single ponytail and picked up one of Valerie's bazookas. Valerie put on her helmet and made sure that all her ammo was loaded to the maximum capacity.

"Hey what happened to that Garth guy that was supposed to train you?" Valerie asked.

"I don't know. Whenever I come to the lab, he's not there. And when he is there, he says he's busy. Besides, I never liked him anyways. He's too serious and curt all the time. He never jokes around. I'd much rather have you as a teacher."

"Thanks." Valerie said. She clicked her feet together and a silver surfboard appeared below her feet. It was powered by two rockets at the back of it. "Now you try."

"Oh you installed it for me!" Cecelia clicked her feet together and nothing happened.

"I guess…there's still a few bugs to work out." Valerie said.

Cecelia shrugged her shoulders and the two of them walked outside.

"It's time for a pop quiz, Cecelia."

"Okay."

Valerie pulled out a small green blaster from her back pocket. "If a ghost fires a simple ectobeam at you, what do you counteract it with?" Valerie fired the weapon.

"Oh that's easy, a silicon ray." Cecelia fired one of her own weapons at the ectoblast and they both disintegrated. "My father taught me that."

"Allright then. What about an ice beam?" Valerie had a weapon to launch that too.

"A blow-torch powered ray gun." Cecelia fired one and the ice turned into water."

"You really _do_ know your stuff."

"I really _do_ know my dad."

"But I bet you won't know this one." Valerie smiled and pressed a button on her suit. Green goop sprung out of her suit and covered Cecelia.

"Ewwww! Ugh! What is this?"

Valerie laughed "Ecto-waste from my suit."

Valerie was still laughing and Cecelia tried to pick the ecto goop off of her but it was too…goopy. Yuck.

Up in the sky something shot past like a comet at high speed.

"Was that a shooting star?" Cecelia asked as she peeled the goop off her face.

"That was no star, Cecelia, but I believe that was a ghost."

Please leave a review with a comment, a suggestion, a question, or anything at all that would help make this story better.

Thank you, readers! I love you guys!


	6. Chapter 4: Cecelia Meets the Phantom

**Danny phantom what happened next**

By ~PrennCooder

Edited by ~NosillaParvatir

Cecelia's first encounter with Danny Phantom.

And it's not a pleasant one.

**Chapter 4: Cecelia Meets The Phantom**

"A ghost?" Cecelia wiped green goop from her eyes. "Go catch him."

"I intend to." Valerie said and she became airborne. She followed the ghost's trail. Meanwhile Cecelia was trying to get her hovering surfboard to appear.

"Come on." Cecelia clicked her feet together over and over. There was a small shock in her feet. "Ow!" she said softly. But then the surfboard appeared. "Yes!" She said with sheer satisfaction and she followed Valerie through the wisp of air.

The only reason that Cecelia found Valerie was that her suit's tracking device registered on one of Cecelia's beeping radars on her own suit. Cecelia saw Valerie attacking an adolescent ghost in a black and white jumpsuit.

Logically, Cecelia assumed that the ghost had attacked first. So she fired the first weapon that her fingers could find. It happened to be a silicon ray. Her shot was a direct hit—Cecelia got lucky—and the impact tore off a piece of his shirt. He screamed and bled, and then he fled.

_Wimp_, Cecelia thought.

"Thank you, Cecelia!" Valerie was grateful. "Although I probably could have captured him sooner or later, I'm glad you were here anyways. Danny Phantom and I always have our differences."

"Danny Phantom?" Cecelia could hardly believe _that_ was the mighty Danny Phantom that Amity Park respected so much.

"Yeah, some people consider him a hero, but I see him for the menace he truly is." Valerie sneered. "One time he destroyed my suit—my previous suit—and I just keep thinking "that could have been me". Can't you imagine what that feels like?"

"Why did he attack you? Why here? Why now?" Cecelia was a bit flustered. What if she _hadn't_ got lucky? What if Danny Phantom had attacked _them_ first?

"Well, he didn't, uh, attack me…directly. It's just that, whenever he's around he brings trouble along with him. All ghosts are evil, whether they try to fool you about it or not." Valerie seemed so sure, as if she had more of a drive than she was letting on.

"Oh, I believe you. Remember that story I told you about my mother?"

"Yeah…what was her name?" Valerie asked tenderly.

"Hanna…Rose Hazel."

"That's a beautiful name."

"Yeah, she named me after her mother, Sakki. But I go by my middle name, which is Cecelia."

"Nobody else knows that your real name is Sakki?"

"No. I don't say the name very often because it reminds me too much of my mother."

"Oh." Valerie pressed a button and her suit disappeared and the hovering surfboard vanished into it. Cecelia pressed a button and her suit did the same. "I'm glad you got the hoverboard to work."

"Me too. And I'm glad we got to kick some butt."

"Yeah." Valerie said and the two of them headed off to her house.

The next day at school, Cecelia and Valerie were bored to tears in geometry class. The teacher droned on and on about letters and numbers and Cecelia was lost after the first three minutes.

"You got any idea what he's talking about—all those equations and formulas?" Cecelia turned to Valerie.

"Girl, you know I'm failing this class worse than you are!" Was Valerie's honest reply.

"Ugh!" Cecelia groaned in frustration.

"Ms. Hazel, Ms. Gray, do you have something to share with the class?" The teacher heard Cecelia's loud groan.

"No." Valerie looked down at her hands in her lap. That's what she did whenever she was singled out in front of a large group.

"Uh, no." Cecelia was embarrassed and she did not like to see people turning around and staring at her. Paulina laughed lightly.

The teacher began handing back test papers.

"Yes! A C! I actually passed!" Valerie did the "it's my birthday dance".

"Oh _no_." Cecelia studied her paper. "A 44%. My dad is going to _kill_ me." She felt her forehead grow hot as if she was about to explode.

Somebody who was sitting a few rows behind them got out of his seat and trotted over. "I can't help but overhear the fact that you're not doing so well in this class. So I'll let you know that I have a 4.0 GPA, and, FYI, I'm A-cing this class."

It took Cecelia a second, but she identified this boy.

"Get outta here Foley!" Valerie commanded, before Cecelia could react to his sudden appearance. "You hit on every new girl that comes to this school. Just take my advice for once and leave Cecelia alone."

"Whoa, whoa," Tucker Foley put his arms in front of his face as if he expected Valerie to strike him. "I came here to ask your _attractive_ friend if she needs someone to help her get a better grade."

"Sorry but we don't take offers from techno geeks." Valerie put her hands on her hips with attitude.

"Geez, man, calm down." The geek walked away.

"Techno geek?" Cecelia laughed.

"He's obsessed with technology."

"Ah, I see."

The door to the classroom opened. And the door was old, so it creaked with a loud metal groan that got the attention of all the students. Everybody turned to see who was coming in.

Cecelia recognized another member from the table that Valerie had told her so much about. Danny. Valerie's little crush. He was an average height, wearing blue jeans and a grey tee shirt for a 2009 astronaut convention and he had red sneakers. He had black hair and blue eyes—and odd combination, but it looked good on him.

"Danny! Man, you're okay!" Tucker ran up to him and gave him a bro hug. Tucker seemed very concerned about Danny's welfare that he even helped him sit down.

Cecelia admired good friendship when she saw it.

"Ouch." Danny said. He felt on his chest where he was obviously in pain.

Cecelia looked at Valerie, and noticed that she winced whenever Danny let out a small cry of pain or discomfort.

"I'm surprised you came to school after what happened to you yesterday." Tucker in a low tone so that the teacher—who had resumed teaching—wouldn't be able to hear.

"Shh!" Danny said briskly. Tucker took his seat next to Danny.

Cecelia noted that Sam the goth girl was not in this class.

The geometry teacher handed Danny his old test. "Aw, man! I got another D! I'm failing this class now for sure!"

"Well, you never study."

"I'm always _busy_." Danny said through his teeth.

"Well, maybe you can learn from your sister. She always finds time for both things—she's a straight A student."

"I know, I know. My parents compare us all the time. Wait—how did _you_ know that?"

Tucker's eyes got all nervous and they looked all around the room, avoiding making contact with Danny's. "Well, I, um, I have a lot in common with her…"

"If you ever try to date my little sister then I think I'll have to personally show you what I think about that. _And you won't like it_." He said with a comically dramatic voice.

"That's why you're my best bud!" Tucker laughed. Danny laughed too.

"Valerie, Valerie, answer my question." Cecelia tapped Valerie on the shoulder. "Are you coming to that party at Dash's house next month for his birthday?"

"What? Oh yeah sure."

"You were listening in on Danny's conversation weren't you?"

"Maybe. Whatever. Shh." Valerie said defensively.

"You should just ask him out already."

"No. It's too early. Don't you know anything about romance? It's the first few days after the breakup that he'll be in denial and then after that he'll really start to feel needy again."

"But _he_ broke up with _her_."

"What?"

"Yeah, I heard him and Tucker talking about it a while ago."

"Well I'm glad it happened that way. But if I were him, I wouldn't have even made the mistake of dating her in the first place."

"You should still ask him out." Cecelia teased. Valerie rolled her eyes.

The bell rang and everybody moved on to their next class. Cecelia's next period was French. She picked it as her second elective (first was karate) because she loved the way it sounded. While most teenagers took Spanish, Cecelia had always taken French.

"Students, listen up. Today we will be doing something very different in class today. You all will be writing a 10,000 word or more short story in class for the next two weeks."

Everybody in the class groaned, including Cecelia. Writing was _not_ her strong point. She tended to focus on reality a little bit more rather than making up fantasies in her head.

"You will be working in pairs and the story will be due exactly three weeks from now." The teacher handed out a sheet full of requirements. Each paper had a name on the top left corner.

Cecelia looked at her paper. It said "Sam Manson" on it.

"The name on your paper is the name of your partner. You two will be spending lots of time together, so I hope you're good friends. Get to work everybody."

Everybody got out of their seats to look for their partner, but Cecelia didn't have to look very far. There was only one goth in the entire class, and she was sitting at the back of the room with her head in her arms and her hair covering her head like a little blanket.

"Hi. Sam? I'm Cecelia, your partner." Cecelia said quietly.

Sam revealed herself to Cecelia. She had purple eyes and straight shiny black hair that barely touched her shoulders. She had three ear piercings and she was wearing a black shirt and a dark green pair of jeans and purple combat boots. Her nails were painted black and she had black eyeliner and purple lipstick, but other than that she wore no other makeup. She stared back up at Cecelia gloomily.

"What's the matter?" Cecelia asked Sam politely, though she already knew what was wrong.

"I'd rather not talk about it." Sam stretched her arms and yawned. "Let's just get started on this story. Got any ideas?" She shoved her class books off to the side.

"No not really." Cecelia confessed as she pulled up a chair next to Sam. "I'm a lousy writer. There's not a creative bone in my body. How about you?"

"Oh, I've written a few stories before. Just about every _normal_ person writes a story at some point in their life. Mine were really bad, though. I wrote them when I was thirteen and fourteen, and those were my awkward years."

"What are they about?"

"Danny Phantom." Sam whispered.

"Oh." Cecelia said. She now sparked a sudden interest in Sam. "So you know him?" Cecelia tried so hard to hide the curiosity that dwelled in her eyes.

"Yes…" Sam said quickly. "I suppose you could say that he and I were old friends?"

"_Were_?"

"Things got complicated."

"Oh, he hurt you didn't he. You know, because he's a ghost, a monster—"

"No, not like that. He did hurt me, but it had nothing to do with the fact that he's a ghost. What should our story be about?"

"Well what kinds of things do you like?"

"Goth poetry, the color black, and veggies."

"Oh. This might be more difficult than I thought." Cecelia said to herself.

"What do _you_ like?"

"Martial arts, cheerleading, and gh—fighting." Cecelia hoped Sam wouldn't notice that she nearly said "_ghost_-fighting".

"Wow. Well, that's different."

The bell rang and it was now time for lunch.

"Do you want to sit with me at lunch today?" Cecelia offered.

"I don't know."

"Well, if you change my mind, I sit at the front table. With Valerie."

"Oh…Valerie. You two are friends? I really don't think I'd fit in at that table so I'd rather not."

"Okay."

Sam headed off rather quickly.

Cecelia headed to lunch. She sat down with Valerie as always. Tucker approached their table before Cecelia could even start eating.

"Cecelia, do you know where Sam is? You were the last one to see her." Tucker asked.

"I don't know. I offered to her if she would like to sit with me and she said no. After that, I came straight here."

"Quit bothering her, Foley." Valerie said. "Buzz off."

Tucker went back to the table he and Danny sat at and presumably relayed the news to Danny. Danny didn't seem to mind too much that Sam was missing; meanwhile Tucker scanned the lunch room for her. There was not a goth girl in sight.

"There really _is_ a lot of drama in high school. I've seen it in movies but I've never believed it."

"What surprises _me_ is that _we_ seem to keep getting involved in the lives of _those_ guys…and Danny." Valerie said, reminding Cecelia that she always thought Danny was cool and refused to rope him in with the geeks.

"Where are they going now?" Cecelia noticed a blue mist come out of Danny's mouth and he tried to hide it. And then he and Tucker stood up quietly, with their heads down, hoping not to get noticed.

But Cecelia and Valerie noticed most certainly, only because they had been watching the boys intently.

"I don't know what's going on. Let's follow them."

"Why?"

"Why not? It'll be fun. Maybe they'll lead us to more drama." Valerie theorized.

The two of them stood up and followed Danny and Tucker outside.

Outside the sky was a strange color and there was some strange large object in the sky. Could that be? It's a dragon! He was gigantic and purple with green flaming hair and dark red eyes. He breathed hot fire onto some of the nearby trees. A thin ghost boy flew up to him and bravely launched a plasma bolt at him. The dragon cried out.

"Phantom!" Valerie glared. Her eyes got all small and angry. She squeezed her fists together.

"From the looks of it, isn't he stopping the disaster the dragon will cause?" Cecelia spoke.

"Yes, but who do you think _brought_ the beast here in the first place?" Valerie said as she geared up into her suit. She clicked her feet and the hovering surfboard appeared. "Well don't just stand there!" she scolded Cecelia.

Cecelia pressed in the watch on her wrist and her suit appeared, and her surfboard too. "Allright. Let's do this thing!" Cecelia smiled deviously.

With that, they became airborne and started firing all kinds of weapons at the dragon in the hopes of weakening it or distracting it. Cecelia's weapon lost ammunition and she began to panic. She just froze in fear and Valerie cringed. The dragon was nearing her. Before they knew it, that ghost boy began to use a thermos to usurp the dragon. And then the dragon was just…gone.

"Thank you…?" Cecelia gave the boy a confused glance. She did not know whether to be mad that she didn't catch a ghost or to be grateful that the ghost didn't catch her.

"You're welcome!" the ghost boy said as he flew away rapidly.

"Yeah you better run!" Valerie yelled.

As the two girls were getting out of their suits, Cecelia wondered out loud, "What made you decide not to hurt that ghost kid?"

"Well, I'm sick and tired of fighting him as often as I do. He's a real pain."

"Does he live here? In the town?"

"Huh? It's hard to say. He likes to haunt the school. But I think all ghosts live in the ghost zone."

"They have their own _zone_?" Cecelia's eyes opened wide.

"Yes, and you don't want to go there. It's a wretched place. Those ghosts are always at each other's throats in a mad search for power. And humans always "get in their way". You really wouldn't like it."

"I'm sure I wouldn't, but it sounds like it would be quite an adventure to go there one day."

"You're not seriously considering—Sam! H-hi! What are you doing over here?" Valerie caught Sam Manson spying on them from behind the shadows.

Sam stepped out, and she looked like she was uneasy and lacking confidence. This was a rare moment for her. "Well, uh, remember how I said I knew Danny Phantom? Yeah, I was just, uh, waiting for him. Yes." She was very nervous.

Cecelia and Valerie walked inside without another word. But they ran into Danny and Tucker on the way.

"Did you guys go out to watch the fight too?" Cecelia asked them.

"Yeah." Tucker said. He and Danny were trying to run, but they were terribly out of breath. Especially Danny. He looked as though he was about to faint. Tucker helped him to walk straight.

"The ghost boy saved me." Cecelia whispered to Valerie.

"Why do you have to say it like _that_, as if he cares about anyone besides himself. He doesn't—he's a ghost!"

"I know I know, but maybe he's not completely _heartless_…"

"Think what you want to think, Cecelia. I've got Danny Fenton to deal with. I've decided to ask him out." Valerie determined. "It'll be just like old times."

Review, please! Tell me Whatcha think of it so far! XD


	7. Chapter 5: Dragons Galore

**Danny phantom: what happened next**

By ~PrennCooder

Danny, Danielle and Tuck meet Garth Lloyd, the dragon ghost with an interesting backstory

**Chapter 5: Dragons Galore**

It was later that same day and Danny was walking home. His chest was still aching from earlier that morning and every step hurt as he walked down his street. He still had the pain from where that girl had shot him. Though there was no mark, it still burned.

And from earlier today, he had taken plenty of falls and burns from dragons lately. It would have been too much for the normal teenager to handle, but we're all lucky that Danny Fenton _isn't_ normal at all.

Every time he tried to think of any good that could come out of this, he was reminded of all the pain. But our hero wasn't giving up just yet.

Danny didn't like fighting dragons. How did this one get out of the ghost zone anyways? And why are they suddenly everywhere no? Who let the dragons out? And why were Valerie and her sidekick able to predict his every move?

And Sam, _oh my gosh_, _she_ was a completely different problem. She hadn't spoken one word to him since the breakup. It was so _childish_, he thought. To him, breaking up really wasn't that big of a deal. But her being the type of girl that she was had to complicate everything.

Finally Danny was home. He unlocked the front door and he saw his thin black-haired sister sitting on the couch watching television.

"Hi Danny." She said in her sweet little voice. She was doing her hair up in a fancy hybrid of a braid and a ponytail.

"Hi Danielle. Are mom and dad home?" He asked her bluntly. He was tired, and he knew she wouldn't mind if he was completely straightforward.

"No."

That meant he could relax. He didn't want them knowing how hurt he was. He knew that they'd freak out. He knew they'd ask questions. Parents and questions are not a good combination, especially for a half-human half-ghost kid whose parents know nothing about that.

"What…_happened_ to you?" She gave him a peculiar stare.

"Do you want to know how many times I've fought dragons this week? _Six_. Six!"

"As opposed to the usual…"

"Never."

"What's going on?"

"I don't know but I'm really tired of it."

"Does your high stress level have anything to do with Sam?"

"Yeah." Danny sighed and lay down on the floor. "She's still acting childish."

"She always pretended to be so mature. It's ironic how she's acting now, isn't it? We used to be great friends, her and me, until you two got together. And she never let you have any fun."

"_I know_! I know that what I do is dangerous, but seriously, she doesn't have to remind me about all the risks every time I go out and fight—"

There was a loud, roaring moan from outside Danny and his sister rushed to the window. Danielle looked concernedly at Danny.

"Aw come on!" Danny protested. "You know what? I'm done! No more dragons. Danielle, you can take this one." Danny sulked upstairs to his bedroom.

"Danny—"

"No."

"Oh poo!" Danielle groaned. She walked outside. She transformed into her ghost form and flew up to the dragon ghost. He was not a full-grown dragon, Danielle noted, and his hair was black and red. His body was brown and his eyes—a disturbingly bright shade of fire orange. "What are you doing here?" Danielle asked the dragon.

The dragon only breathed fire on her. The fire surrounded her but she was protected by a shield she decided to put up. And then she launched a powerful plasma beam at the dragon. "Take that!" she shouted. "Not a very powerful dragon…" Danielle was very surprised that this dragon could be knocked down with one blast. He was now on the floor moaning in pain. Not a very _smart_ dragon either.

Danielle readied another large blast in her hands. She was waiting until she gathered enough power to make it grow to the enormous size that she wanted and then she planned to finish off this dragon for good.

"Wait." The dragon pleaded. "Who are you?" he asked her.

"I'm Danielle Phantom."

"You're related to Danny Phantom?"

"I'm sorta his sister." Danielle said.

"I'm sorry the other dragons keep bothering him." The brown dragon let out a wheezing cough. "Give the dragons what they want and then they will leave. I actually came here to warn him."

"Warn him?"

"I'm not a real dragon, you see?" the brown dragon closed his eyes and he began to shrink down and morph just as well until he was in the form of a young man. He felt his head which ached and the other hand stopped the bleeding from where Danielle's blast had hit him. In shock, Danielle released the energy buildup she was saving and let it dissipate into the air. She gasped as she took a long, hard glance at the young man.

He had brown hair with a streak of red and piercing brown eyes. He was tall and his face was gaunt but his arms were muscular.

"What's your name?"

"Garth." He said in a painful voice.

Danielle hesitated. "Well how'd you get to be human _and_ ghost dragon? Are you related to Prince Aragon?"

"The Prince of dragons? No. But somebody in the royal family made me like this. It was a long time ago—I was only twelve. And I was just walking home from school one day and it was a pleasant day and I looked up at the billboard to see what was for sale at some store. And then some green circular thing appeared and three dragons flew out of it and I didn't know what to make of it. Honestly I didn't believe my eyes. They caught me staring and they took me up. I dropped all that I was holding to fight my way out of their arms. But by then, it was no use. Because I looked all around me: it was green and there was no sky—it seemed to go on forever in an aimless direction. It was very creepy. And then the dragons put me in a dungeon cell and they were arguing about something in their own language. And they were holding many of those amulet things that they all wear, and, well, they were throwing them around and then one dragon took one of them and er—he put it inside of me and fused it to some part of my insides."

"Did his arm and it turn invisible?"

"Yes."

"So now you have that power too? Maybe that's what they wanted to know—if humans could have the power too. Did they let you go then?"

"No." Garth said bitterly. "I had to fight my way out. I remember having so much adrenaline. I thought I was going to die. Everything around me seemed hopeless. And then I felt a power inside of me and I just let it go and it came out as fire—and then I began to theorize exactly what they'd done to me. And then I realized I was a dragon."

"So you fought them off?"

"No—I ran. I _flew_, actually. And I'd never gone that fast in my life. I remembered the path that they used to get me into their little dungeon and then I found that green portal and flew out of it. And suddenly I was in the normal world. I thought it was all a nightmare, but then I looked down to see that I was floating—and still a dragon. I can change now, with ease, so don't worry."

"That's quite the story. I think my brother would want to meet you." Danielle said. She took his hand and remained in ghost form as she phased Garth through the wall and then they were right outside of Danny's bedroom. "Can I speak to Danny _Phantom_ please?" Danielle knew he heard, which was why she hinted at him to transform.

He did so and opened the door to see his sister and Garth. "Hello citizen. What brings you here?" Danny asked awkwardly.

"He's half-ghost dragon and half-human. I just thought you might find that _interesting_."

But Danny was tired and did not get what his sister was hinting at. "So?" he asked.

"So that's very cool. He is enemies with the other dragons, just like _we_ are. And he might be able to help us fight them since he came here to _warn_ us about them!"

"What do you want me to do about it?" Danny asked.

"I want you to let him into our little team."

Danny sighed. He flew outside and asked for Garth to change shape. Garth did so, and then he changed back.

"So you really are legit." Danny said amused. "And you say that the dragons are your enemies?"

"Yes. They want to catch me and try to make me fully human again. But I don't think that's possible."

"How would you like to join my little team?"

"Team?"

"Yeah, we fight monsters, ghosts, dragons and all of those other nasty creatures. It's me and my sister Danielle and our two friends Sam and Tucker."

"Oh."

"Would you like to contribute?"

"What would I have to do?"

"Ya know, just help us fight really. We could use a dragon on the team." Danny joked.

"I suppose I might be of _some_ help." Garth agreed.

"Like right now! Look in the sky! There's a really _big_ dragon!" Danielle pointed.

"Oh that's Lyon. He's Aragon's nephew." Garth said casually.

"Let's go kick his butt." Danielle said. She readied a plasma blast and Danny readied an ice blast. Garth transformed into his dragon form and snorted fire out of his nostrils and it hit Lyon. Lyon was a green dragon with red eyes and yellow flaming hair. He was extremely angry. Danielle hit him with her plasma blast, but it had no effect. Danny fired an ice beam at Lyon. Lyon winced but was able to repel the cold and counteract it with his own fire.

"What are you doing?" asked Tucker from below.

"We're kicking some dragon butt!" Danielle fired another ectobeam. Danny kept firing ectobeams as well.

But only Garth's fire made any real impact on Lyon. Tucker then remembered he had a Fenton thermos in his backpack. He clumsily pulled it out and opened it as he aimed it at Lyon. Lyon soon got sucked into the thermos.

Garth couldn't believe his eyes. "Whoa." Garth stared at Tucker.

"Oh yeah!" Tucker said proudly.

"Why did his _soup thermos_ make Lyon disappear?" Garth questioned logically.

"First thing's first: who are you?" Tucker asked, aiming the thermos at Garth.

Garth surrendered, mouth shut and hands high in the air.

"Whoa, Tuck. Chill. This is Garth. He's a good dragon. Apparently we have a few enemies in common with him—the dragons that have been attacking me. Apparently they're not fond of him either." Danny said rationally.

"What would a dragon ghost want with another dragon ghost?" Asked Tucker confused.

"I'll explain it to you later." Danny said.

Danielle turned to Garth. "The thermos, by the way, is no ordinary soup thermos. It can capture a ghost easily. It's very convenient."

"Handy." Garth said. He landed on the ground and transformed back to being human.

"Sweet, man!" Tucker thought it was cool. He tried to give Garth a high five but Garth just looked at him strangely. "You don't do high fives?" Tucker looked disappointed.

"One step at a time, buddy." Was Garth's reply. Garth appeared to have trust issues, but this was no surprise to Danny and Danielle. Tucker, however, remained clueless as a rock.

Danielle walked over to Tucker.

"You're a really good fighter." Tucker complemented her.

Danielle and Tucker stepped off to the side so that Garth and Danny could talk about Danny's team. "I know." Danielle said as she gazed back at the house.

"Have you talked to Sam at all since the breakup?"

"Yeah, but, why? I mean, she's not exactly, er mad at Danny any more. She's just upset in general."

"In general?"

"Yeah that's it. I used to think she was cool and all until she and Danny got together."

"You didn't tell me about this…"

"Well, I, uh, never really thought the two of them were exactly right for each other."

"Funny. Everybody else did."

"And I kinda…voiced my opinions…creatively."

"What?"

"I had an argument with her, okay! It all started with little things—like the way she didn't respect Danny, and how she was always nagging him and thinking she knows what's best for him, and then she started acting more like his _wife_ than his _friend_. Their relationship completely changed ever since that kiss at the north pole."

"The kiss that started a new beginning."

"Yes that one. And now look where he is—an emotional train wreck!"

"Does he know about anything you just told me?"

"No, and I'd like to keep it that way for his sake." She walked into the Fenton house. Tucker followed her.

Meanwhile, Danny was explaining to Garth all about his team, which he sometimes called Team Phantom, as well as answering all of the questions Garth had just asked.

"So when's the next meeting?" Garth asked.

"Uh…whenever we can get the whole team together. How about tomorrow?"

"Yeah. I think I can make it. Why do you choose to meet at the Fenton's house?"

"Um, I'll explain that later."

"What do I do if a Fenton answers the door?"

"They won't—just don't worry about it. Make sure you come back tomorrow at around six o'clock. Then you can meet our friend Sam."

Garth walked away. Danny flew into his own house and changed back into human form since he was now among his closest friends. Danielle changed back to human form as well.

"We're going to tell Garth the whole story. Tomorrow, at six, we have to have a meeting. Tucker, I'll need you to talk to Sam at school and ask her to come."

"Are you sure it's wise to tell Garth you're half human right away?" Danielle asked skeptically.

"Danielle, you're a good judge of character. You're the kind of girl that has seven or eight hundred friends on facebook. What do _you_ think of Garth?"

"I dunno. He's a pretty shady guy. He looks like he's hiding something bigger than what he just told us. But I think he's a rather trustworthy fellow."

"I like him." Tucker said.

"Well, now that we've come to an agreement, please excuse me while I go pass out on the couch from exhaustion." Danny excused himself.

"But Danny! You told me to come over after school to play video games!" Tucker reprimanded his friend.

But Danny was already out cold on the couch. He seemed so peaceful when asleep. Danielle quietly showed Tucker to the door where he hugged her unexpectedly. She hugged back and waved farewell, and continued to look out the window even after he had passed their street.

**Enjoying Danny Phantom in 2012? Let me know with a review! Thank you for making Danny Phantom: What Happens Next such a popular story! XD**


	8. Chapter 6: Trackers In The Making

**Danny phantom what happened next**

By ~PrennCooder

Cecelia and Valerie have new responsibilities which include keeping the lab safe from ghostly foes.

**Chapter 6: Trackers In The Making**

It was a lonely street that Garth Lloyd walked as he made his way to the government lab that he worked at. The air was beginning to get nippy and lifeless—a typical fall. Just barely in view was the gigantic laboratory—a ghost's worst nightmare. Garth was the only exception.

Garth had been working for the Guys in White for years and he had no reason to fear them because he knew that they were not capable of figuring out his secret. Just recently he had begun to get antsy because of Dr. Hazel and his breakthrough. He made sure of that.

Garth had to balance his job and his secret identity while also plotting the invention's destruction. How will he do it? He doesn't even know yet. He's so sure he can do it all by himself with no outside help. But this time everything's bigger than just him and his life.

And then there is that one girl Cecelia—never paying attention when he is trying to teach her something that would benefit her. And then she starts to bring her friend Valerie over to the lab too so that they can hang out together while waiting for their fathers to finish work.

Garth knew Valerie and Valerie knew him, but they stayed out of each other's' way. That is, until Cecelia and her father came along.

Garth entered the large white brick building and walked up the stairs into the hallway where the employee lockers were. He put on his lab coat and took his clipboard in his left arm and a pen in his hand as well.

And then he walked near the empty storage room where Cecelia had been practicing her martial arts for the past week. Garth looked in through the window.

There were Cecelia and Valerie kicking high. Garth could hear them shouting "One two! One two!" over and over. Garth had to admit to himself that he was proud of them for aiming for such physical prowess.

And then Garth walked to a desk. He looked around to make sure all of the other technicians were busy, and then he began to enter a series of letters and numbers. It soon registered on the screen that Garth had reached the mainframe of the building's computer network, which was off-limits to technicians.

Garth could have made it big in this sort of thing; it just wasn't his cup of tea. He needed a little more…bite.

"That should do it." Garth said to himself at a low volume no one could hear. The screen that showed the number of days that Garth was absent from work dropped from "twelve" to "four".

This pleased Garth.

He shut off the hacked network and slipped away from the computer. As he was walking away, he bumped into a dull technician.

"I need you to report to Dr. Hazel in his office right away." The man droned, not even making eye contact with Garth.

Garth immediately changed his course of action and took an elevator lift to Dr. Hazel's office. "Mr. Lloyd, welcome." Dr. Hazel said.

Garth looked around to see Cecelia, Valerie, Mr. Gray, Mr. Black, and Mr. White all gathered in the room along with Dr. Hazel around a projector screen.

Mr. Black looked at Garth. "Since you are Cecelia's overseer, I thought it fir that you should be here to see this."

"Mr. Hazel has merged one of our devices and a theory of his to create a hybrid technology—one that will allow us to track ghosts." Mr. White spoke. "Since myself and Mr. Black are the heads of Guys in White, we have decided that Cecelia and Valerie are the best for the job."

"What job?" Valerie asked.

"Tracking ghosts." Said the men in white in an eerie unison.

"How?" Damon Gray asked to anyone who could answer.

"I think it would be best if Hazel could explain this one." Mr. White said.

"Well, once a ghost's DNA is fed into this machine, it registers it permanently and can tell the rough distance that the ghost is from the machine. It can also determine which direction the ghost is in. for example, if a ghost was in the sky, the weapon would register this on its 3-dimensional indicator."

"That's genius, dad!" Cecelia said proudly.

"Now we're really getting somewhere!" Valerie smiled.

"And you two can track down that Danny Phantom pest at your school." Dr. Hazel explained as he pulled out two small dark grey metallic weapons.

"That's what I'm talkin' about!" Cecelia and Valerie said in unison. They each took one of the weapons.

"Excuse me—did you say Danny Phantom?" Garth asked. Everyone turned and stared at him.

"Yes I did. He's a well-known fiend at my daughters' school. And he often _rudely_ interrupts Axion Lab's normal routines. I think it's about time that he and all other ghosts were justly taken care of." Dr. Hazel determined.

"What did you have in mind, dad?" Cecelia asked as he was helping her and Valerie to install the weapon into their suits.

"I was thinking maybe you could bring him to me—alive—and I could test out the Equator." Dr. Hazel explained.

"So that's what you're going to call it?" Valerie asked. "And then you're going to turn the Phantom's ghostly energy into electricity?"

"Precisely."

"What about all the other ghosts?" Damon Gray spoke up.

"Before you know it, Cecelia and Valerie will be able to catch ghosts tens of times more powerful than the pre-pubescent Phantom kid. And by then the world will be a few steps closer to being ghost-free." Dr. Hazel said.

Everybody in the room clapped except for Garth.

Lucky for him, nobody noticed. He didn't feel like clapping; he really did not want to. He actually felt like throwing up right now. Danny Phantom? Ghost tracking? After all this time would Garth's perfect plan finally come to its foil? And so close to what could have been its timely end?

Garth left the room and relieved a technician of the task of sorting letters—a tedious task—but one that would definitely give Garth a chance to think the next few steps of his life through. He did not believe Danny Phantom to be a fiend or a menace; but more of an unappreciated hero.

After Garth's shift was over, he went to his locker and put his lab coat and clipboard away. Cecelia appeared behind him. She had startled him, but he did not give a reaction.

"Why did I get the feeling that earlier today you did not want me hunting ghosts?"

"Because I _did_ feel that way."

"Why?"

"It's too dangerous. If that Phantom kid is more powerful than you, the fight won't last very long." Garth's facades were always convincing.

"Look." Cecelia put her hand on her hip with attitude. "I've been given a job and I take it. I want nothing more than to please my father and rid the world of these…monsters. Now, is that really too much to ask for?"

Garth made no reply.

"Because I can guarantee you that I will _not_ disappoint my father." Cecelia started walking away.

"Don't let him know."

"Huh?" She turned around.

"Don't let Danny Phantom know that you're tracking him."

"Thanks for the advice." She resumed her walking.

Cecelia walked over to where her best friend Valerie was getting ready to go home with her own father.

"Why are you in such a rush to leave?" Cecelia asked her casually.

"I want to test out this new weapon tonight. If a ghost comes into Axion Labs, I'll be ready."

"Could I come with you?" Cecelia asked. "I really don't have any plans."

"Dad?" Valerie wanted to get her father's opinion.

"Sure." Damon agreed.

Both girls smiled.

It was late at night in Axion Labs. All the workers had gone home for the day except for a few miscellaneous janitors here and there. Damon Gray was up in his office doing some late-night organization. Cecelia and Valerie sat on the floor of a large circular room near the main entrance.

"Wow this place sure is creepy after hours." Cecelia stated.

"Shh! You don't want the ghosts to hear you!" Valerie warned.

Cecelia stood up, irritated. "What? There are no ghosts here! In fact, I've _never_ seen a ghost here! I'm beginning to think this place was never haunted in the first place!"

"Will ya sit down!" Valerie found it hard to whisper when trying to give Cecelia a tone.

They heard soft fighting noises from outside. It didn't sound human. There was moaning and wailing and clashing and screaming.

Valerie pulled Cecelia into the shadows.

"Are you ready?" Valerie whispered.

"Yes." They both suited up and turned on their tracking weapons.

Suddenly, a gigantic glass window shattered before their eyes. They had to refrain from gasping so as not to aware the ghosts of their presence. There on the floor lie Danny Phantom with his suit all torn up. He moaned in pain.

"Yes! I'm finally inside! Bless my sweet—TECHNOLOGY! Look at all of these electronic apparatuses!" A green ghost with a grey mullet and a cape flew around Axion Labs taking technology.

"Let's get Danny Phantom while he's down!" Valerie determined. But Cecelia held her back.

"Wait! What if he's actually trying to _stop_ the bad guy? Why else would he have been all banged up?" Cecelia inquired.

"That ghost probably just used him to break the glass. But if you wanna go after him, then be my guest. I'm going to capture me a Phantom." Valerie marched right up in front of him and put some blue glowing handcuffs around him that she had sealed away in her back pocket.

Cecelia split and went over to the room where the green ghost was robbing the lab. Cecelia just stood there with her weapon aimed and ready to fire.

He turned around. "Stupid child! Did you really think you could defeat the great Technus with your inferior technology!"

Cecelia gasped as the ghost commanded a jumper cable to wrap around Cecelia's body and render her useless in the fight. "Help! Heeellp!" Was all Cecelia could scream out. She was choking.

Before she knew it, something was firing ectobeams and plasma beams at the green ghost who called himself Technus.

"Aah! You cannot defeat me either, ghost child!" Technus bellowed.

Cecelia was surprised to see what she saw—Valerie _and_ Danny Phantom battling the foe _together_. And now Cecelia seemed not to be so afraid. Valerie seemed to be doing a pretty good job at holding off Technus, so Danny decided to free Cecelia.

"What are you doing?" Cecelia asked him as he phased her through the rampant electric cord.

"You're welcome." He said and immediately turned his attention to Technus.

"Thank…you?" Cecelia was still puzzled.

"Well don't just stand there!" Valerie yelled to her. "Let's take him down!" Valerie and Cecelia hit Technus with their most powerful weapons. But it was no use.

Technus hacked into the computer's core and downloaded energy and information and with every second he gained more power. "You cannot stop me!" he laughed maniacally. Technus fired a bean from the palm of his hand and it hit Valerie and knocked her out cold.

"No!" Cecelia cried. And then a blast hit her as well.

"Finally!" Danny said as he pulled his handy thermos from his belt.

"No! Child!" Technus wailed as the thermos sucked him in. Danny sealed the cap tight and then looked at the two sleeping girls.

"They'll be okay." He thought to himself. "I'll just have to wake them up." He said as he nudged both of them.

Valerie was the first to awaken. "What? What do you want with me, ghost?" and then she looked up at the ghost boy who was there. "Oh, it's you, Phantom. What did you do with the other ghost?"

"I…uh chased him away. He won't be bothering you anymore." Danny confessed.

"Then why are you still here?" She asked with a strange kindness to her voice.

"Danny?" Cecelia rubbed her eyes as she woke up.

Danny sighed. "Remember our deal? You free me so that I can save your friend and then I'll turn myself in to you."

"And to think you could have just flown away and we wouldn't have stopped you. You could have gone home." Valerie pointed out. She was still confused. Was this a trick?

Danny put his arms in the air in surrender. "Are you going to capture me or not?"

"Go." Cecelia said mercifully.

"What?" Valerie turned around and glared at Cecelia. "We'll _never_ catch him again. And right now he's practically handing himself over to us."

"If it weren't for him, neither of us would be alive right now. So I think we owe it to him to at least give him a sporting chance before we start hunting him again." Cecelia pointed out.

Valerie crossed her arms and lowered her eyebrows. She did _not_ look pleased at all. "Go." She commanded grimly.

Danny took the opportunity and phased through the wall and at a rapid pace, he flew across the midnight sky.

"Well…he _did_ save us. Maybe he's not as bad as you think." Cecelia pointed out in her defense.

Valerie was still unamused. "He's still a ghost—a pest—and an apparition. He has no right to come into my father's lab!"

"I know, Val. But you should at least consider the possibility that he is not totally evil."

Valerie walked away and changed out of her suit and Cecelia followed her. "So are we cool? I'd really rather not lose the best friend I ever had over something stupid like this." Valerie still did not respond. "Come on, Val…" Cecelia pushed.

Valerie sighed and stopped in her tracks. "I don't know, Cecelia. Ghost hunting is a big deal to me. My teachers look at my grades and say I'm a slacker; that I'll never amount to anything. And I have the most hideous job in the entire high school."

"You're the Nasty Burger mascot."

"Yeah. And for the first time in my life, ghost hunting made me feel right. It's something I'm good at and it's also a way to fuel my anger. I dunno if you understand this, but succeeding at _it_ is making up for _failing_ the rest of my life."

"Wow."

"Yeah."

"Then I won't let you down." Cecelia determined.

"Thanks," Valerie smiled, "Best friend." And they shared a hug.

Thanks for all the views!

Please leave me a review everyone, and tell me what you think of this story so far.

Somebody actually made a wiki for this story where you can learn about the main characters, in case you have any questions.


	9. Chapter 7: Joined Friendships

**Danny phantom what happened next**

By ~PrennCooder

Team phantom meeting! Introductions are in order for all of our favorite characters! Garth learns Danny's secret, as well as some others…

**Chapter 7: Joined Friendships**

Today was time for the meeting at the Fenton house. Garth thought it was awkward as he walked up the front steps to ring the doorbell to a home he didn't know.

"Why hello there! Who are you?" Asked a middle-aged redhead woman in a blue jumpsuit. She let Garth inside.

Before Garth could answer, someone said, "He's a friend of mine." A black haired teenage boy took Garth by his arm and tugged him up the stairs.

"Who are _you_?" Garth asked.

"You're here for the Team meeting, right?"

Garth nodded.

"Well you're late." The boy said as he and Garth walked into a bedroom. There sat Danielle and Tucker, whom Garth had met earlier. And also another girl with shoulder-length black hair and goth clothes sat next to Tucker with her arms folded.

"So what do we do first?" Danielle asked as soon as everyone was seated down in a circle.

"Introductions." Tucker said. "Garth, since you're new, we're all going to let you in on a little secret."

The black haired boy transformed into none other than Danny Phantom. And Danielle transformed into a little black haired teen.

"Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. Are you ghost _and_ human?" Garth looked at both of them.

"Yes." Danny said. "I'm Danny Phantom _and_ Danny Fenton. And she's Danielle Fenton _and_ Dani Phantom."

"But…why?" Garth didn't know the right question to ask.

"It was an accident that gave me my powers. And Danielle is my clone—my parents just adopted her. And so now she's my sister." Danny explained. "But my parents know nothing about us being half ghost, so keep it on the down low."

"Okay…" Garth was still dumbfounded.

"And I'm Sam Manson. I don't think I've met you." Garth's attention turned to the skinny goth girl who was sitting next to Tucker. But Garth didn't have time to respond before Danny took the floor again.

"Today we need to find out why all of these dragons are attacking me." Danny said.

"Well now that you're protecting me, they have even more of a reason to attack you." Garth said.

"Not helping." Danielle added.

Sam leaned in to whisper to Tucker's ear. "What's so special about this guy?" She asked.

"He's half-dragon." Tucker whispered back stoically.

"Oh." Sam then realized just what that meant. "What? Why is it that you always seem to leave out that kind of information when you tell me things!"

Tucker shrugged.

"I did my research on the Ghost Zone and I discovered that everything we know about the dragons' realm points to Lyon becoming the new Prince." Danielle spoke up.

"Good work Danielle." Danny said.

"But I still don't think we know enough about the situation yet. I suggest that we go into the ghost zone and ask one of our more hospitable allies."

"How about Pandora?" Sam suggested.

"Yeah! That's a great idea." Danny said. And then he looked at Garth's confused face. "You have absolutely no idea what's going on here, do you?"

Garth shook his head.

"Well you're about to learn. Everybody stand up. We have lots of work to do." Danny changed into his human form and he led the group down to the basement.

"Whoa." Garth looked all around the Fenton Lab. He eyed all the weapons in particular. Now this was his cup of tea! "This looks a lot like the place where I work. Only _here_ is much homier."

"Where do you work?" Tucker asked.

"I work at the Government Guys in White building."

Danny, Sam, Tucker and Danielle gasped.

"What?" Sam looked at him.

"Wait, this might not be a bad thing. Think about it—we can use this to our advantage." Danny said.

"Yeah. Garth, have the Guys in White been doing anything ghost-related lately?" Danielle asked him.

"Lately? I've been working for them for three years. And they've always been a bit obsessed with ghosts. Now they've hired this Dr. Hazel from Antarctica to build this super-weapon for them that turns ghost energy into electricity. And they specifically want _you_." Garth pointed at Danny.

"Me?"

"Yes. But I'm telling you this so that you'll at least have a chance. They've got these two girls—Valerie and Cecelia—on the hunt for you. And they're pretty good fighters too. They both know martial arts. Every day I see them; they're practicing another high kick or throwing a punch. Let's hope you don't run into them." Garth frowned.

"I've known Valerie since we were freshmen. We go to school together—"

"And you're practically _dating_ her." Sam butted in.

Danny ignored that. "We're in the same class. But Cecelia? I really don't know her. She sits with Valerie almost every day at lunch but that's about the only time I see her. Cecelia looks really strong. I won't wanna underestimate her."

Danny pressed a button and the circular doorway of the ghost portal opened, revealing a green and eerie world.

"It's just like I remember…unfortunately." Garth said to himself.

"We'll have to take the Specter Speeder." Tucker reminded his friends.

"I'll drive." Sam volunteered.

The five of them piled in.

"What is this vehicle?" Garth asked. Sam turned it on and the rockets roared.

"It is the only vehicle capable of going into the ghost zone _and_ coming back." Danny explained.

"I know the way to Pandora." Sam announced.

"Let's just hope she'll be willing to help us." Danny said as they took off into the green world.

Garth felt a shiver of cold go up his spine as he observed the world. It was like the memory of his past had been revived and he hated it. He always had the thought in the back of his mind that someday he would need to conquer what he feared. He just didn't want today to be the day.

"There's the realm of the mythical buildings." Tucker pointed out.

"And there's Pandora." Danny recognized.

"Hello." Pandora appeared in her large and warrior-like form. "What are you doing all the way out here? Is something wrong?"

"Yes, actually." Danny spoke for the group. Bravely, he phased through the top of the vehicle and then sat on top of it. "There's a relative of Aragon's—his name is Lyon. I've heard that he's going to be the new Prince of their realm someday."

"Someday? That _someday_ is three months from now." Pandora explained.

"And Lyon keeps attacking me." Danny admitted. "Why?"

"He probably sees you as a threat—he wants to make sure that all ghosts will serve him and there are none left to rebel—which means that he thinks it possible for you to overthrow him."

"So he'll never stop?"

"Not until you're dead, or you succumb to him as the Prince of the ghost zone."

"I won't do that."

"Well, the only other way to stop him is to have another, stronger dragon challenge him for the throne."

"I think I know just the guy." Danny remembered Garth but did not say his name out loud because Pandora did not know.

"Well then you have him challenge Lyon for the throne on December 31st. in the meanwhile, I think I'll be able to strike up a deal where the dragons will leave you alone. But if you do somehow succeed in finding a man, this will prove to be a powerful alliance for you."

"Thank you." Danny said. He phased back into the Speeder.

Sam drove the Speeder back to the Fenton portal and into the lab where it landed as if it had never been used in the first place.

"That was so strange." Garth said as they all got out of the Speeder.

Danny and his friends went back upstairs to the bedroom they were using which Garth presumed to be Danny's.

"Danny," Sam pulled him aside, "We need to talk."

"There's nothing left to say."

"Well maybe _you_ don't have anything to say. But I do." Sam hesitated. "I'm sorry for being too bossy."

"Thank you for apologizing. I'm sorry I overreacted. Can't we just be friends again? I'm tired of being mad at you." He smiled.

"Yeah." She smiled back. As Danny turned and waked away, Sam blushed. But she made sure nobody could see.

"Garth, I'm going to have to ask you to be the one to challenge Lyon." Danny told him.

"W-what? No! I can't! I'm not a very good fighter!" Garth admitted.

"That's funny. You look like you could take somebody's eye out." Tucker said to Garth. Garth glowered at him. "It's the way you dress." Tucker theorized.

"Garth, you're the only one who can fight Lyon. Then if you win, your kingdom and ours can be allies." Danielle spoke up.

"Give me time to think about this, guys! I'm not that much of a tough guy. And this is all a lot to take in! Danny and Danielle are hybrids, and I've just gone into the world I fear the most and now you're telling me I have to challenge the head dragon?"

"He's not the head _yet_." Tucker reminded Garth. "But by the time he is, you'll be buff enough to deck him right in the jaw and win the fight!" Tucker said wishfully.

"No." Garth said.

"You'll just have to work out a lot." Sam said.

"Yeah. You can do this. We'll have your back." Danielle said. "In the meantime, I'll be doing my research on dragon weaknesses. And don't worry. You have three months to think about this."

"Meeting adjourned!" Danny announced.

Danielle walked out of the bedroom. Tucker and Garth walked downstairs and left the house. But Sam remained.

"Danny." She approached him.

"What?"

"Since we're friends again, I wanna ask you something. Something very important. Are you dating Valerie?"

"No! Why would you think that?"

"Because it's kinda obvious that you still like her."

"She's far more interested in ghost-hunting. And besides, we never talk any more anyways."

"Well I don't think it's wise to date her. Just sayin'."

"_Of course_ you wouldn't. You never liked her to begin with."

"No, no, no. I'm just frustrated because it seems like I'm the only one who knows that she'll never be able to accept the other half of you."

"If I really was with her—and I'm not—we'd find a way to work things out. Love has a way of doing that." Danny said. He looked up to Sam's eyes and waited for her response.

And then he realized that the wording he used might have hurt her. He didn't mean it like that, but he couldn't take it back.

There were so many things Sam could say to that, but she chose to leave these things buried in the chambered depths of her heart. "Bye Danny." She whispered as she walked silently away.

Cecelia and Sam were in class trying to write their short story by sharing one computer. Things weren't going very smoothly. Cecelia wished that she had been partners with Valerie or Paulina—anyone but Sam, basically. There was only so long Cecelia could tolerate Sam without telling her what she really thinks of her.

"This is bad. It's due soon and we haven't even started yet." Cecelia said dramatically.

"Well, I'll write the first chapter tonight."

"What'll it be about?"

"Danny Phantom. I have so many of those already, so I'm sure there will be something I can use. I'll get the basic idea of the story going and then you make up a second chapter." Sam said.

"Okay." Cecelia agreed.

That night, Sam spent an hour or so getting lost in the memories of all her stories. Some were about real events, some were based of real events, and some were pure fiction. Nevertheless, they reminded her about how much she loved hanging out with Danny and Tucker and she started to really miss them. She was almost tempted to call one of them. But then she remembered the breakup. That was a hideous moment for her. It ached on her heart. So she started typing this new story.

At school, Sam, who was proud of her hard work, handed the story to Cecelia on a flash drive. "I think you're going to like it." she said to Cecelia.

Cecelia took it home with her that night. The story began with Danny Phantom, a happy ghost teenager trying to fit in with normal humans. And they all adored him—even the kids. But especially there was this one girl whose name was not given, but she was described as being thin and beautiful and dark-haired.

In Cecelia's chapter, she decided to name the girl Paulina. And then she wrote how Paulina and Danny became a team. And then later she told Paulina over the phone and Paulina laughed in delight. "I love the ghost boy!" she said to Cecelia.

Sam wouldn't admit it, but she was disgusted with Cecelia's chapter. Sam tried very hard to give the story a gothic mood even though Danny Phantom was always upbeat. And then she made Paulina's character get into a car accident and have to have plastic surgery on her face.

Cecelia just couldn't resist telling Paulina about _that_ chapter. Paulina's response was "That's so like her." Referring to Sam.

Cecelia found herself stumped late at night trying to write the next chapter. The more she studied the other chapters that Sam wrote, the more she got to know Sam and the way she thought. Sam is a really smart person, Cecelia thought. Maybe I should get serious on this story. She decided to give Danny Phantom an enemy—whose name was Sakki.

In the story, Sakki was a brave girl with a strong heart and she didn't need looks or clothes or food to make her feel good about herself. She just wanted justice in the world. And because Danny was a ghost and all ghosts are evil, Cecelia wrote an epic battle between Danny and Sakki.

Sam read that chapter and got a little annoyed. In her next chapter, Danny would have a sit-down with Sakki and explain to her that all ghosts are not evil—many are not. And also about certain events and things that Danny has done to keep this town safe. It was then that Sam realized the story had hit 10,000 words. And so she decided to end it here: with Sakki and Danny becoming friends.

Sam allowed Cecelia to read that chapter and then the two of them turned it in together. "That was a strange story, but I think I liked it." Cecelia said to Sam. "And we got to know each other better."

"Yeah. I suppose we're friends now, in a weird way." Sam smiled. "Do you still believe all ghosts are evil?"

"Well, one did kill my mother."

"Oh my gosh I'm so sorry! I didn't know."

Cecelia was taken by surprise that Sam's stony face changed into one of compassion. "It's allright. I was really young. I don't even remember her."

"So, yes, some ghosts are _very_ evil, but not all of them."

"You should talk to Valerie—she'll change your mind for you." Cecelia and Sam laughed.

"I don't think so." Sam said. The bell rang and it was time for lunch. "I gotta go meet Danny and Tucker somewhere."

"Danny Phantom?"

"No! No, uh…Danny Fenton." Sam said as she nervously slipped away.

Valerie came out of the girls' bathroom and walked over to Cecelia. "Manson's definitely hiding something." Valerie must have been eavesdropping.

"And I know what it is." Cecelia chuckled softly. "She's got a huge crush on Danny Phantom."

"Figures. She likes things that are _different_, so of course she'd have a thing for him."

Cecelia couldn't help but laugh loudly at the way Valerie said it. And then Valerie laughed too. It was all in good fun, so long as nobody got hurt.

The next day, Valerie's dad drove his daughter and Cecelia to school because Dr. Hazel was very busy. Cecelia and Valerie had grown accustomed to carpooling to school together. Cecelia told Valerie all about the story she wrote with Sam.

"Wow, Sam really _does_ like the ghost kid. It's kinda creepy because she _just_ got out of a relationship and she already likes another guy."

"Speaking of _that guy_, when are you going to ask him out?" Cecelia couldn't resist asking.

"Actually I was thinking of sitting by him at lunch today."

"Aw!"

"And you have to come with me."

"No!" Cecelia protested. "I wouldn't be caught dead as a third wheel. Those are really embarrassing and I don't want people to know my by that. I know you like Danny, but I still think he's a dweeb. And Tucker's even worse."

"Aw, but you have to! You've gotta keep Tucker away from Danny and me so that he doesn't intervene. There's a small chance that Manson will sit at that table too, so you'd have to keep her away as well. You're the one that's been trying to get me to make a move and here's your chance, so are you going to help me or not?" Valerie kinda rattled it off.

Cecelia hesitated. "Okay." She gave in for the sake of her friend's happiness.

Later it was lunch time, and Valerie and Cecelia casually sat down at the table where Danny and Tucker sat.

"Hi Valerie, what brings you here?" Danny asked in a friendly tone.

"And more importantly, what brings your friend here?" Tucker interrupted.

Cecelia shuddered.

Valerie ignored Tucker. "I actually wanted to talk to you, Danny, alone." Valerie looked at Tucker and waited for him to get up.

Please review and lemme know what you think!


	10. Chapter 8: The Importance of Dates

**Danny Phantom what happened next**

By ~PrennCooder

Danny asks someone special out on a date

**Chapter 8: The Importance of Dates**

"Oh I get it." Tucker got the hint and stood up. He looked around the lunch room until he spotted a lone goth girl eating a salad at a faraway table he sat down next to her. Valerie gave Cecelia a look too and Cecelia followed Tucker.

Valerie decided to begin her conversation with small talk to Danny.

When Cecelia approached Tucker and Sam, she felt rather awkward but they didn't seem to mind.

"Hi Cecelia." Sam said.

"Are you okay?" Tucker asked Sam.

"Yeah, yeah, never better." Sam said.

Cecelia couldn't help but feel a little sorry for Sam, now that she understood her side.

"Cecelia what are you doing over here?" Cecelia looked up to see Paulina standing a foot away, blinking her long black mascara eyelashes. "Come sit with me and Dash and the rest of our friends."

Cecelia went along with her friend Paulina, because Paulina had been her friend longer than Sam or Tucker, if Cecelia could even consider herself their friend. Every now and then Cecelia looked back over at them. Now that she had left, she could see that Sam was more comfortable showing just how upset she really was.

Cecelia frowned, knowing that Sam really must care about Danny and now her heart's broken. Cecelia wished in her heart that Sam could find somebody to love who loved her back just as much.

"Why were you sitting with those two?" Paulina asked Cecelia when they sat down at their own table. "They're in our grade, but that doesn't mean you have to sit with them. At lunch, it's always best if you sit with your _friends_, like Dash, Star, Kwan, and I. You and I have so much more in common than you do with those two."

"Hi." Said Dash.

"Hey, Cecelia." Greeted Star.

"Hello." Kwan waved slightly.

"Valerie wanted me to keep Tucker and Sam away from Danny so that she could make her move." Cecelia confessed.

"Aw, you're such a good friend." Paulina said. "Valerie's liked him forever and now it looks like she's finally going to make her move! Isn't that great?"

Cecelia couldn't help but feel guilty because of what happened to Sam. "Yeah…great." Cecelia assured herself that there was nothing more she could do for Sam because Danny broke up with her.

Danny and Valerie were catching up on each other's recent lives and sharing a few laughs and Valerie couldn't stop staring into his big blue eyes. She was remembering how cute she though he was back when they used to hang out at places like theaters and carnivals. They used to see each other over the summer before sophomore year. Valerie missed those days. All those dates filled with laughs and light kisses and sunny afternoons of walking on the beach.

"Danny," Valerie couldn't hide her smile when she looked at him. "For a while now, I've been wondering what happened to our friendship. I haven't seen you very often anymore since that day I told you I couldn't handle a relationship. But, that was a long, long time ago. I've definitely changed, and so have you."

"Are you saying that you…miss me?" Danny looked confused.

"Well, uh, yes, that's part of it, but I also miss hanging out with you as a friend. Ya know, since we were such great friends."

"Um, yeah, I miss that to. I think we stopped hanging out right after…"

"After you started going out with Sam."

"Actually, I think it was before that. Do you remember that day when that red suit attacked me?"

"It's clear as crystal. I remember telling you to run so that I could stop it by myself."

"And since it was being controlled by an evil ghost, I'm glad you stopped it." Danny knew it wasn't Valerie who did the job.

"_Actually_ it was that Danny Phantom ghost who destroyed the suit."

"Right. But how did _you_ know that?"

"I…saw the whole thing through one of the windows at school, yeah."

Danny smiled nervously. "That Danny Phantom guy is pretty cool, isn't he?"

"He's a ghost. All ghosts are evil."

"But Danny Phantom is a hero!" Danny argued.

"Have you ever met him?" Valerie challenged.

"I can't say that I've exactly…met him…entirely." Danny admitted.

"Well, he sets all sorts of chaos on the very town we live in!"

"He does _not_! He's only trying to stop the evil ghosts and make Amity Park safe again." Danny argued.

"Really, Danny? You're going to argue the side of a ghost?"

"But you've just been misunderstanding him this whole time." Danny settled down. "You just have to give him a chance. And then you'll see that he's not such a bad guy."

"Danny, I shouldn't have gotten all mad like that and I'm sorry. I should have just told you what I came over here to tell you instead of dancing around the subject."

"Huh?"

She leaned in and lowered her voice to a soft undertone, "I never stopped liking you, okay? And the only reason I told you I wasn't ready for a relationship then was because I had a lot on my plate and I was just beginning to learn how to deal with it. But now I'm much older and…well-handled."

Danny smiled slightly. "I'll confess that I was a little heartbroken. It was a letdown that I wasn't expecting. I'm glad you told me the truth now. this changes a lot of things. I miss you too."

"So maybe later we can…"

"Go out?"

"I was going to say "hang out", but I like that better." Valerie and Danny shared a golden laugh.

People from neighboring tables turned their heads to see what was such a big deal. Most people liked what they saw. Sam and Tucker knew exactly what that laugh meant. Tucker was very happy for Danny because he knew Danny needed Valerie. But Sam only put her head down, too embarrassed to show the whole school her red shriveled face.

Back at the A-List table, Cecelia leered unbeknowedly when she saw Valerie and Danny getting along smoothly. Paulina smiled approvingly when she learned what had just happened.

Danny Fenton walked from his house to Nasty Burger for his work shift. It was the next morning. Working at that fast food place wasn't exactly the best job, but it was easy to manage and it earned him a smidgen more than minimum wage. He didn't need the job, but if he was looking to go to college to become an astronaut, he'd need the extra cash.

Since Danny did not have a car of his own, sometimes he carpooled with Tucker. Danny just felt like walking today and he wanted the exercise. Danny had the same 4:30 to 6:30 shift every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Whereas Tucker worked Tuesday Wednesday and Thursday. Today was a Friday.

Danny went to his employee locker and threw on an apron. He and Tucker were lucky to have the same job. All it required them to do was put the food on a tray or in a bag and include straws and napkins. As they were doing their job, Danny wasn't focused and he mixed up a few orders and customers scolded him. "Sorry." he said.

"Danny, are you allright?" Tucker asked his best friend. "You just gave a mother and her little kid nine cheeseburgers."

"No, I'm not allright, Tuck. Valerie talked to me yesterday and I found out that she still has feelings for me and I told her I had those feelings too."

"I'm not seeing the problem here."

"I'm so nervous, man! I even asked her out and it was like, so perfect and I'm just afraid I'm gonna mess this up. And on top of it Sam probably hates me more than ever now."

"No, she doesn't. She was just a little sad. But she can't stay mad at _you_ for long. And you just have to calm down and tell yourself you can do this. This is your life, and you can't build your relationships based on other people's choices. You're not mad at Sam at all; _she's_ the one who's choosing to stay upset. You need to make your own choices, and you chose Valerie." Tucker gave Danny this good piece of advice while also doing a good job. The manager complemented Tucker as he walked past. "See?" Tucker smiled. "You just have to think positively."

"You're right, Tuck. I _can_ do this. I'm going to go out with Valerie tonight _and_ I'm going to kiss her."

"Now you're talkin', man!" Tucker encouraged him.

After their shift was over they grabbed a quick dinner to go and then went to Danny's place to play video games. Their favorite game was Mega-Action Doom. Sometimes Tucker would win and he'd brag to Danny and when Danny would win, he'd stand up and do a silly dance on the couch. But there were some days when neither of them would win because Danny pulled the plug on their game system.

"Aw, come on!" Tucker whined.

"Danielle, no!" Danny protested.

Danielle stood in front of the two boys with her arms crossed. "Danny, there's a dragon outside." She said fearlessly.

"Who?" Tucker asked as he and Danny went to the window to get a better look. It wasn't Garth and it wasn't Lyon either.

The blue dragon ghost screeched and wailed. Danny could hear his parents in the basement and he told Tucker to keep them down there so they wouldn't see the ghost. And then Danny and Danielle transformed into their ghost halves and phased through the wall.

"Don't you have somewhere else to be, dragon? Anywhere but here will do just fine!" Danny took the thermos off his belt but while he was doing that, the dragon shrunk down into a person.

"Wait, Danny! It's me, Princess Dorothea!" she said.

Danny apologized and he and Danielle went over to greet her.

"Danny, my brother, Prince Aragon is re-organizing the balance of power throughout the medieval realm in the ghost zone. He and those under him are finding all sorts of loopholes in our laws and he's banished me from the kingdom! And he's preparing Lyon to become the most terrible leader the kingdom has ever seen!" Dorothea said. "And that's why I had to change the way I looked because I didn't want Aragon to find me."

"Don't worry, Dorothea. I know someone who's going to challenge Lyon for the throne on December 31st." Danny said.

"And right now he's probably training himself for the task." Danielle assumed.

"You have brought me a message of hope, young ghost children. I thank you." Dorothea said. She changed back into dragon form.

"Where are you going now?" Danielle asked.

"To tell my brother that Lyon is going to fail." Dorothea said with pride.

"Oh please don't!" Danielle said.

"Yeah, we kinda wanted it to be a surprise. We don't want them to see it coming." Danny explained.

"That makes sense." Dorothea said as she flew away.

Danielle and Danny went back into the house.

Danny looked at the clock. "I have to get ready for tonight!" Danny said in a panicked voice.

"Relax, bro, your date is in an hour and ten minutes." Danielle said calmly.

"Dad set that clock wrong at daylight savings time, remember? That one's an hour behind!"

"Oh, well, in that case you have…I really don't think it matters anymore."

Danny rushed into his bedroom to put on his fresh clothes and deodorant and comb his hair and such. Tucker came up from the basement.

"Is the ghost gone yet?" Tucker asked cautiously.

"Yes."

"Good." Tucker relaxed on a recliner. "I don't think I could stand a few more minutes of "quality ghost lessons" with your parents. They tried to get me involved in the business! And I've already seen too many ghosts." Tucker was referring to the times that he battled ghosts with Danny.

Danielle gave Tucker a weird look.

"Oh not you! I meant the other ghosts—not you. You're a friendly ghost. I like you."

Danielle laughed at his nervousness and then went to her own bedroom to listen to music.

Danny came down the stairs in his black hoodie, and his hair was neatly combed so that it shined, and his teeth were sparking white, and he smelled very manly.

"How do I look?" Danny asked Tucker. "Ready to go on a date?"

"The top half of you looks okay but I don't think I'd go for the green underwear."

Danny looked down to see that he had forgotten his pants. He gasped. Tucker laughed. He ran upstairs and put them on and then came back down the stairs.

"Danny, you need to chill. I haven't seen you this nervous since—"

I want reviews, people and thank you all for reading. Hope you enjoyed it. I enjoy all types of feedback, but please don't ask me why I broke up Sam and Danny because I think it's rather obvious. XD


	11. Chapter 9: Cheers

**Danny phantom what happened next**

By ~PrennCooder

Hai! Big football game in this chappie!

**Chapter 9: Cheers**

"Gotta go." Danny interrupted as he ran out the door. He took his mom's Buick and drove away very fast.

"…Since your first date with Valerie one year ago." Tucker finished his thought. "I'd better get home." He walked out the door and began his walk home.

Night had fallen and Danny was on the road driving as fast as he could possibly go without getting a ticket. He soon parked in front of Valerie's house. It was 8:04. Hopefully Valerie wouldn't mind.

Danny rang the doorbell and Valerie's father opened the door. "Danny!" Damon Gray's face brightened. "I remember you! Come on in, son. Valerie's almost ready."

Danny was relieved that Valerie had not been sitting around waiting for him. Danny took a seat on the couch. It was small and cheap, just like their living room. Damon Gray was a single parent supporting his daughter and himself. And they never had much money, even _before_ the divorce. Danny looked around at the plain walls painted with drab colors. Somehow Danny wished he could help Valerie out.

Danny heard footsteps coming from around the corner. It must be Valerie, Danny thought. And it was. Her hair was brushed nicely and she was not wearing a headband but she was wearing a lovely peach-colored evening dress that ended above the knee. She had on stylish brown shoes and a cute black purse. She smiled at Danny.

"You look amazing!" Danny smiled.

Valerie laughed happily. She took his arm and they walked outside to the car together. "I think it's cool that you're wearing a hoodie. Most guys I know would have worn a tux, but I'm glad you're so comfortable around me."

Danny was grateful for that. He drove them far past the town of Amity Park and past the city too. They soon found themselves in a very woodsy part of Colorado.

"I know where you're going." Valerie said to Danny. "And I love this place."

Danny parked the car in the parking lot of wood chips which had been cleared just for cars. He opened Valerie's door for her and then took her hand. Together they walked through the rocky pathway with other people who were going to the same place.

"Welcome to The Old Shed!" A man dressed as a wilderness explorer handed out menus to all the people before letting them inside. Danny took the menu. Before the two of them stood a large log cabin three stories high. It had a big wooden roof too.

They stepped inside.

The inside was a grandeur place with golden tablecloths and wooden chairs decorated with white fabric and the waiters were wearing black suits and there was a gigantic winding staircase that led to three floors of fine dining. Danny and Valerie went to one of four host desks. The host sat them at a table for two on the second floor and it was by a window.

"Oh my, Danny, this is all just so perfect." Valerie said.

"Yeah…" Danny blushed. They held hands over the table as they looked at their menus.

When the waiter came, they both ordered a fancy spaghetti dish made with tomato gravy and turkey. It was absolutely delicious and they finished it rather quickly.

"Gosh that was the best meal I've had in years!" Valerie said.

They both stood up and Danny went to pay and he cringed as the host rang up the large amount of money on his credit card. But then Danny looked at Valerie's grateful face and he didn't worry so much. They walked back out to the car and Danny drove Valerie back to her house.

The two of them got out of the car and they hugged goodbye. Danny didn't let go of her hands. He leaned in to kiss her and she kissed him back. They both blushed and then said an awkward "Goodbye." In unison. Danny got back into his car after his date had entered her house.

"Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Wohoo!" He cheered for himself once the door was shut so that nobody could hear. And then he drove back home.

Meanwhile, at Valerie's house, Valerie was delighted from that date. It was a perfect dream! And it was with the perfect guy! Valerie took off her nice dress and slipped into some comfy sweats and grabbed her phone. She _had_ to tell Cecelia.

"Cecelia! Guess how my date went?"

"How did your date go?" Came Cecelia's tired voice. Valerie had probably woken Cecelia up, since it was now 11:30.

"It was _amazing_! I'm not the kind of girl to go all gaga over a guy but, seriously, tonight was fantastic. I really like him."

"That's great, Valerie. You should tell Paulina."

Cecelia hung up and Valerie dialed up Paulina. They must have spent the next hour just going on and on about boys lone. Paulina liked boys, and Valerie was her friend, so they had quite an interesting conversation there.

Eventually they found themselves talking about girls at Casper High who could easily get a guy to bend over backwards for them.

"Paulina, obviously all the guys in school have a crush on you." Valerie said.

"Oh I'm so flattered! But I already have a great boyfriend:" Dash Baxter. He's the football quarterback, you know."

"I know. I'm a cheerleader. I've been to all his games too, ya know." The two girls laughed.

"And you're a real hottie too, that is, when you don't eat hot dogs and fries. And if you clean up a bit, Danny will really fall in love with you."

Valerie gasped. "You think so?"

"Mmhm! He'll fall head over heels! There's a lot of pretty girls in our school. I never really thought about it before, but they'll probably steal all the good guys for homecoming."

"I can't wait for homecoming!"

"Me neither! I can picture you wearing a nice yellow dress and Star wearing that orange one she has, and of course mine will be pink, and Cecelia's should be purple."

"Who do you think will ask Cecelia to the homecoming?"

"Oh, a lot of guys will ask her, but I don't think she likes anyone at the school. And if a total loser asks her out, she'll probably slap him right in the face."

"Yep, that's Cecelia. What about Sam Manson?"

"Oh, _her_? She doesn't like homecoming, or dresses, or people that like to look pretty. And now that she and Danny are over, I don't think she'll be going with anybody."

"What about Foley?"

"Foley and Manson, no way! That would never work."

"That's what you said about Danny and her."

"I know but I mean it this time."

Valerie and Paulina finished their conversation and then Valerie tried to go to sleep but she couldn't stop thinking about Danny. And it was then that she realized she completely forgot to do her karate practice for the day.

And so she practiced her high kicks into the midnight hours.

It was the next day—Saturday—and it was the day of a big game for Casper High's football team. And that meant that the cheerleaders had a practice an hour before the game. As team captain, Paulina was directing the cheerleaders to do all their stretches and warm-ups before practicing the routine. All the while, Cecelia wondered "Where is Valerie?" and she kept looking at the front door to the gymnasium but Valerie had not come in yet.

Next, the cheerleaders practiced their kicking. "Good kicking, Cecelia!" Paulina said to her. "You too, Star! Let's keep those legs up high, girls!"

Cecelia excused herself to the hallway so that she could call Valerie and find out where she is. Cecelia dialed three times but Valerie did not pick up. Cecelia dialed one more time and luckily, Valerie answered.

"Cecelia what's going on?"

"You're waaay late to cheer practice!"

"I know! I know! I overslept because I was up late last night! I'll be there in a few minutes. Bye." Valerie hung up.

Now, the cheerleaders were practicing their actual routine and Valerie finally showed up and she joined right in. Valerie stood next to Cecelia so that they could whisper to each other while doing the cheer.

"How is Danny?" Cecelia whispered to her friend.

"I kissed him!" Valerie said happily.

"No way!"

"Yes way!"

Paulina stood in front of the two girls. "You need to focus because the game is in half an hour. I want everyone looking their prettiest!"

After twenty minutes of practicing the routine, Paulina dismissed the girls to get into their outfits and do their makeup.

"You all look like beautiful little princesses!" Paulina said cheerfully as the girls came out of the bathroom.

Some of the cheerleaders watched as the football fans started piling in on the bleachers outside.

Paulina looked out the window too as if she was searching for someone among the crowd.

"Who are you looking for?" Cecelia asked. "Your boyfriend is right over there." Cecelia pointed to the large muscular blond quarterback.

"The ghost boy. He always comes to football games because he wants to see me! He's my hero!" Paulina said.

"So you're cheating on Dash with a…a ghost kid you don't even know…"

"No, no, no. I'm not cheating on Dash because I liked Danny Phantom first. He's my hero! He's saved me from evil monsters many times and he comes to every game just to wish me good luck."

"He_ told you _that?"

"No, but I can see it in his eyes."

"Girl, are you hung up! He's a guy. Think about it. Even though he's a ghost, he's still a teenage boy. He probably just likes to watch dancing girls."

"Well! So that's what I get for trying to share something personal with you? Humph! Danny Phantom would _never_ let me down! I'm practically his number one fan! I'd dump Dash for him!"

"Riiight." Cecelia smartened up and decided to go along with it.

"It's showtime, everyone!" Star announced to the cheerleaders. "The announcer man just announced the team. That means we're next!"

"Smiles, everyone!" Paulina said.

"And now, here are the Casper High cheerleaders!" the announcer called them.

The team skipped across the football field in a nice, peppy line. This was their big scene. The music turned on over the field's loudspeakers and the girls did all sorts of acrobatics and gymnastics like twists and turns and flips and kicks. Not a muscle was out of place as they performed their perfected routine.

Cecelia finally felt like a cheerleader as she looked around the team and they were smiling all pretty. This was the largest crowd Cecelia had ever seen. And it was a very big deal because she was homeschooled all her life.

The cheerleaders waved their pom-poms as they all took their seats on the front bench right before the bleachers.

Valerie noticed Danny in the audience and she heard him saying "Go Valerie!" She waved to him. She had to admit that it was real sweet of him to come here just for her since he never attended regular games. She blew him a kiss.

Cecelia noticed and laughed with her friend. "He's such a dork." Cecelia whispered to Valerie. "That was a really cheesy thing for him to do. And I think I'm warming up to him."

"Good because I think I'm going to be with him for a long, long time." Both girls smiled.

The referee blew the whistle and the game was on.

Cecelia tried to focus on the football game but she kept getting distracted by the fact that this sport was so rough. It was like all of these guys were just bullying each other and it was rather unsettling to watch. Normally, Cecelia wasn't one to complain about violence, but this was just ridiculous and totally not-entertaining. And Dash was a total meanie to all the players on the rival team. When Dash had the ball, he would just plow through other guys and knock them to the ground. "Outta my way, can't you see I'm trying to win the game here!" Cecelia heard Dash say as he was nearing the endzone and attempting to score.

"Go Dash!" an oblivious Paulina stood up and cheered for her boyfriend.

"Why are you even dating him anyways?" Cecelia asked.

"He's great at sports, duh!" Paulina smiled.

"So you don't even like him?" Paulina gave Cecelia a blank stare. "_Like him _like him?"

"Oh. No, not really." Paulina turned back to the game. "Go Dash! Woo!"

Valerie stood up. "I'm going to sit with Danny." She told Cecelia.

"You do that." Cecelia agreed.

"Hi, Danny!" Valerie smiled at him and gave him a hug. And then she sat down in the empty seat next to him. "I'm really glad that you came."

"Me too. We should go out again, that was fun." Danny said in an awkwardly cute way.

Down at the front bench, Cecelia was bored stiff. She thought she could hear faint moaning coming from inside the gymnasium. It was getting louder.

"Bullies! _Bullies_!" A very outlandish ghost boy from the 1950s appeared on the football field.

"Outta my way, dweeb!" Dash pushed the kid out of his way so that he could score a goal everyone cheered except for the ghost who had been knocked to the ground.

The ghost's eyes glowed red and he raised his arms. Suddenly there was a giant dinosaur-like monster in Dash's place. The football fans screamed in terror. The rival tem fled. Dash's team froze in fear as the giant monster wailed at them.

The monster took a few football players and threw them into the bleachers. And then he noticed all the scared little teenagers on the bleachers. He picked up Paulina and she screamed like a little girl.

"You put my friend down right now!" Cecelia demanded. The monster picked her up in his other hand. Cecelia squirmed and jerked but she could not break free. But she did not give up.

The monster was now heading for the school, smashing every gate, bench and trash can in his way.

Paulina was screaming her head off and Cecelia thought for sure that Paulina would faint. Cecelia stopped screaming because she realized it was no use.

All of a sudden, something hit the giant monster and he wailed in pain and turned around. Cecelia could see a ghost kid floating in front of them with hands glowing green. It was Danny Phantom.

"Why did you do this, Poindexter?" Danny asked the nerdy ghost who flew up next to him.

"I wanted to show everyone what this guy truly is: a bully. It's not right that he should be at the top of the food chain when he's such a…meanie."

"Change him back."

"No." Poindexter protested calmly. "But if you can defeat him, he will change back to the way he was before and won't remember anything." And then the ghost called Poindexter flew off dramatically.

Danny sighed. He started firing ectobeam after ectobeam at Dash. But it seemed futile because it wasn't even making a dent on him.

"Go Danny Phantom!" Paulina cheered adoringly.

Danny started blasting Dash with icebeams. Now there was a hit! Dash was completely frozen except for his arms and Danny pried Cecelia and Paulina out of there.

"Thank you ghost boy!" Paulina gave him a squeezing hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"Thanks." Cecelia said flatly.

"I saved your life, you know. You could show a little more appreciation." Danny thought she was just messing with him, but she really wasn't that grateful.

"Thanks." Cecelia said in the same flat tone.

"Will you go out with me?" Paulina begged.

"I have a girlfriend." Danny Phantom said rashly as if he regretted saying it after he did so.

"That should be me." Paulina said sadly.

"I gotta go." Danny flew away.

Paulina gave Cecelia a sad look. "He has a girlfriend!" she was ready to cry.

"Oh come here." Cecelia gave her friend a hug. They both noticed Valerie and Star approaching.

"I'm so glad you're okay." Star gave them both a hug. "The rest of the cheerleaders fled to the girls' locker room. But it looks like everything's allright now."

"Valerie, where's Danny?" Cecelia noticed he was not there.

"Oh, he left. He just said "Aah, a ghost!" and then ran away. So what happened to the monster?" Valerie looked at the two victims.

"Danny Phantom saved us." Paulina said once Cecelia didn't answer.

"Come on, let's get you to the locker room." Star said to Paulina.

Cecelia and Valerie followed the two girls.

"Why are you so mad?" Valerie asked Cecelia in a whisper.

"I just think it's strange how Danny Phantom knew there was danger in a place so far away from the ghost zone he lives in. think about it, Val, maybe the whole thing was a setup."

"A setup? That would fit along the lines of him."

"Exactly. The next time we see him, we're going to ask _before_ we kick his butt."

"Agreed."

**PLEASE REVIEW! THANK YOUS!**


	12. Chapter 10: Alterations

**Danny phantom what happened next By ~PrennCooder**

**Tell me what you think in a REVIEW!**

**Chapter 10: Alterations**

It was Monday and Cecelia was hanging out at the Government Guys in White lab after school like she usually did. With each passing day, her father was getting closer and closer to finishing the energy transfer machine which he had called the Equator.

Meanwhile. Cecelia was bored as could be and she had finished all her homework. She was not in the mood for martial arts practice. And to top it off, Valerie wasn't here because she was at Axiom labs.

So she sat at the front desk watching all the security cameras. And then Garth Lloyd walked in the front doors and it occurred to Cecelia that Garth had been absent several days in the past month. And the beginning of October isn't usually the time people get sick.

So Cecelia decided she would follow him until she learned why he was skipping work. Curiosity had been building in her for a long time, but she just now realized it. Cecelia was good at following people, so this could be fun. There was the constant feeling in the back of her throat where she feared being caught in the act. But that feeling only made her curiosity crescendo.

She kept a good safe distance behind him. And she watched him go to his locker and put on his lab coat. Garth was good at blending in and going about normal everyday activities subtly—like sneaking into a room with a private computer.

Garth left the door open just a crack so as not to appear too suspicious or obvious.

_He's definitely up to no good_, Cecelia thought; _he's taking all the proper steps to cover his tracks_. In a strange way, Cecelia admired him for doing it right.

And fortunately, the crack was just wide enough for Cecelia to see through. She watched Garth as he hacked into the master computer system from this junk heap of a computer.

It seemed like all he was doing was adjusting the days he was absent. It went from "eighteen" down to "seven".

Cecelia gasped. _He's cheating? He's making sure he gets paid for days he isn't here. But where could he be? What's so important that he has to leave during work hours to do it?_

And then she blinked and Garth was no longer sitting in the chair. It took a moment for her brain to think this through. But before she could complete her thoughts, she was yanked inside the room.

"Why are you following me?" Garth asked in a low tone.

"I just wanted to know why you haven't been reporting to work. You've obviously missed eighteen days this quarter, and who knows how many more." Cecelia tried to keep her cool.

Garth released her. "I've got a lot on my shoulders right now. I need this job. I need the money. But what I need even more than that is time. My fate is sealed. In two months, my life is over if I'm too slow, too weak, or too stupid. Just one little mistake and all hope is lost."

"What are you talking about?"

"This is why I haven't been training you like your father wanted me to—I've been training myself."

"I'm lost." Cecelia shook her head.

"I have to fight a very powerful enemy of mine." Garth confessed. "And if I lose—well, I, uh, _I can't lose_." Garth had a strong vibration of worry and determination struggling within him. It showed up on his face. Cecelia had never seen him this way. "Are you going to help me?"

"I suppose I can keep a little secret."

"And I suppose you're going to wonder what's in it for you?"

Cecelia just looked at him. "Train me. Teach me what you know. I want to be the best. And then maybe I can teach you some things too…"

"It's a deal." Garth agreed. "Come to my house with me tomorrow after school. I'll be there to pick you up and I'll arrange it all through a talk with your father."

Cecelia nodded and both of them walked out of the small room.

Cecelia took a left down the hallway to get to her father's office. There he was sitting at a desk in that giant laboratory of his. He was working on constructing some part of the Equator.

"Hi dad." Cecelia stepped in the room and shut the door behind her. "I was just wondering about the progress you are making."

"I'm afraid I'm not very far yet. I've just begun to change a few things because apparently some of my calculations were wrong. So I've been making alterations all over the place and basically redesigning the thing. It would take far too long to explain." Mortimer Hazel put his work down and faced his daughter. "I'm sorry we don't get to talk very much anymore."

"It's allright—I understand."

"So how have you been?"

"Oh, I've been doing okay."

"You're content with our life here?"

"Content? Sure, dad."

"And you don't want anything like cash or purses or cars?"

Cecelia chuckled at her father's attempt at a joke. "No dad. I like walking to school."

"How was the game on Saturday?"

Cecelia remembered Danny Phantom and the ghost he was fighting. She thought it was all some sort of a trick. The memory of him itched in the back of her mind and she wanted to take action but couldn't. She couldn't tell her dad either because she knew he didn't want her in any danger. And if he found out that she had been in danger, he'd pull the plug on the job he gave her. "I had a nice time with my friends Valerie and Paulina." Cecelia told a half-truth.

"Is that all?" Mortimer pried. "Did you meet a boy?"

"A boy?" Cecelia gasped nervously. "No. no! I don't even like any of the guys at our school." She admitted.

"Oh. Well if there's anything you want to tell me, please, feel free to _tell me_."

"Garth is going to train me after school tomorrow." Cecelia said.

"That's good. He was supposed to be training you anyways, but he never seems to be around, so I just let you go your own way."

"I'd like to make this a regular thing—going over to his house so he can teach me new moves."

"Well if it keeps you from being bored after school, then I'm all for it."

"Thanks, dad." Cecelia turned to leave.

"One more thing, Cecelia,"

Cecelia froze with her back to her father.

"When are you going to bring me a ghost? Damon Gray told me that a green tattooed ghost lady broke into Axiom labs last night. Luckily, she didn't take anything. The place was completely trashed, though. But the security cameras caught the whole thing—including the part where _Danny Phantom _was there."

"Why is it such a big deal that _he_ was there too?"

"Because he is always there, Cecelia. He's there at every recent break-in and every attack on that place. It's as if he's guarding it for some peculiar reason. Damon doesn't want to take any chances, so he wants the ghost removed."

"Maybe he was trying to protect it." Cecelia theorized.

"Or maybe he has a plan of his own. Think, girl, which is more likely?"

"He's a ghost, and they only ever do bad things."

Cecelia's father nodded. "There's always a reason for everything they do. And it's never good. And think about Valerie. She must be pretty upset, too. I think that in no time you girls will have Danny Phantom caught and hopefully I'll be done with the Equator by then. I'll be able to test it on him and Damon won't have that menace floating around anymore. Promise me you'll do your part?"

"I won't let you down, dad." Cecelia walked out of the room. "Danny Phantom's going down." She said to herself and then flashed a devious smile.

It was the next day at school and Cecelia didn't get a chance to talk to her best friend Valerie yet because she'd been hanging out with Danny Fenton all day. They sat together at every class and they went to each other's lockers and even walked to class together.

Well, next was lunch so Cecelia figured Valerie would finally talk to her. But Cecelia was wrong. When Cecelia sat down with Paulina and Star, Dash and Kwan at the A-List table, Valerie sat with Danny over at his table. It was just the two of them sitting alone.

Cecelia tried to listen in on Paulina and Star's conversations, but they were just so pointless. She just nodded her head and pretended to listen. What dragged her out of it was when Tucker and Sam sat down across from her and away from the popular kids who did not even notice.

"What are you guys doing here?" Cecelia asked.

"You just looked kinda sad." Tucker said.

"And you're sorta our friend, so why not?" Sam smiled.

"Thanks. And you're right—I am sad. Valerie's been hanging out with Danny all day and she's been _ignoring_ me."

"I know the feeling." Tucker said. "Danny hasn't talked to me either."

"She really cares about him, and I'm happy for her, but seriously, come on." Cecelia, Sam and Tucker looked across the lunchroom to see Valerie and Danny being all cute together and holding hands.

Sam looked away.

Tucker started eating his cheeseburger. Cecelia mixed ranch into her fruit salad and she noticed that Sam also had a salad. In fact, Sam always had a salad. "You really like your veggies, huh Sam?"

"I'm an ultra-recyclo-vegetarian."

"That's nice."

"And I'm an all-meat eater!" Tucker said proudly.

"You guys are strange. We should sit together more often." The three of them laughed.

Paulina just now noticed that they were sitting here. "Why are you two losers sitting here? Hello, this is for A-List kids only. And you're certainly not one and you never will be. You'll have to go over there." Paulina pointed to a vacant table.

Sam and Tucker reluctantly packed up their lunches onto their food trays.

"Wait, guys, don't go." Cecelia said and then turned to Paulina. "There's no reason they can't sit here for just one day, right?"

Paulina sighed. "I don't like it."

"Come on, they're my friends."

"You made friends with them?" Paulina was surprised. "Well, it's your choice I guess. But don't expect _me_ to be friends with them."

"Hey, we're sitting right here!" Tucker said.

"I know." Paulina could be really snotty when she didn't like someone.

"Oh please, guys, can't we all just get along!" Cecelia said. "They aren't bothering anyone by sitting here."

"Allright, for your sake, Cecelia." Paulina agreed. She went back to her own conversation.

"Thanks, Cecelia." Tucker said.

"Yeah." Sam finished her salad.

"Is something bothering you, Sam?" Tucker asked.

"No. no I'm fine."

"Because if it's the same thing that was bothering you a few days ago I can—"

"I'm fine, Tucker. Just drop it." Sam really didn't want anyone digging into her past.

Cecelia looked at Sam strangely. And then she figured it out. "You're really still in love with him, aren't you?" She looked Sam square in the eye.

Sam didn't say a word. But her unsettling body language told it all.

"You never stopped caring about him." Cecelia acknowledged. "It all makes sense now."

Sam nodded slightly.

"Oh geez, I'm so sorry." Cecelia said.

"For what?"

"It was me who helped Valerie get together with him. I pushed her into it because she really loves him too. And now I feel bad. I completely understand if you hate me."

"I'm just a little upset right now, okay? That was the second relationship I had. And it was the happiest few months of my life."

"Well, I have some advice that might help."

"What?"

"Find someone else."

"How can you say that?"

"No, I didn't mean it in a bad way. I just meant that if you wanted to, you could fall in love with somebody else just as easily as you fell in love with him."

"I've known Danny since forever."

"And I'm sure he's not the only man in your life."

"Actually he kinda is. No offense, Tucker."

"None taken. I never felt that way about you." Tucker said.

"Well, just give it some thought. And…look around. I'm sure you'll find what you're looking for."

"Thanks." Sam said. Honestly, Sam appreciated the effort Cecelia was making here but still Sam was too hung up on Danny to even see anyone else. "Hey, are you talking from personal experience?"

"Well, I've never had a boyfriend but my friends back home did. And they got into a lot of messes there. I've always wanted a boyfriend though."

"Guys like girls who stand out. You need to be unique. I can definitely help you with that." Sam said.


	13. Chapter 11: Teacher

**Danny phantom what happened next**

**By ~PrennCooder**

**Chapter 11: Teacher**

"Thanks." Cecelia noticed that everything Valerie said about Sam was true, but Sam was _not_ a bad person. Your impression of somebody is all based off of your own views. Cecelia wanted to give the girl a chance, which is more than what Valerie and Sam did for each other. Cecelia actually thought she and Sam would turn out to be great friends. Too bad Valerie's jealousy got in the way of being Sam's friend as well.

After school, Cecelia went to Valerie's locker where she and Danny were chatting happily. Cecelia walked up to them and looked at Valerie.

"Oh hi, Cecelia." Valerie said. Cecelia knew that Valerie just wanted to be alone with Danny—or alone as you can be in a public hallway—so Cecelia decided to stay.

"Valerie, you haven't talked to me all day." Cecelia said to her friend.

"I think I'd better go." Danny said.

Valerie kissed him goodbye and he departed. "Look, Cecelia, I'm sorry that I've been ignoring you. But Danny's my boyfriend now! Isn't that great? He called me his girlfriend this morning! I've never had a boyfriend so special to me before, so this is a big deal to me. I really care about him."

"I know, I know. But could we at least sit together in some of our classes?"

"Yeah." The two of them walked towards the front doors of the school. "I saw you sitting with Tucker and Sam today. I'd have to say I'm surprised."

"Well, they're sorta my friends now too. You remember that short story assignment awhile back? Well, Sam was my partner and I got to know her a little. And she's pretty cool. And Tucker, well, he's not as odd as you told me he was."

"Allright, make friends with them. But don't expect me to talk to them."

"That's pretty much what Paulina said too." Cecelia waved goodbye to Valerie, who drove off in her rusty little car.

Cecelia waited at the door for Garth to show up. She expected a cheap car or a motorcycle or something. She was quite surprised when she saw him come around the corner. He was _jogging_. "Oh shoot." Cecelia realized that he'd make her jog to his house with him—backpack and all.

"Are you ready for an exciting day of Garth boot camp?" Garth said to her.

Cecelia sighed. "How many miles to your house?"

"I dunno. It only took me two hours to jog here."

Cecelia gave him that "Are you serious?" look and he laughed.

"Let's just get this over with."

Garth and Cecelia jogged for just a little over an hour before Cecelia started to get tired.

"I must say, you're not as fit as I expected, but don't stop now. Keep those knees up!" Garth taunted her.

"I'll remind you that I'm carrying a ten-pound backpack, and right now it may as well be a two-hundred pound backpack."

Garth just thought her discomfort was the funniest thing. "May be, but I can still jog circles around you."

"How…did you get to be so strong anyways?" Cecelia was starting to lose her breath.

"That's easy. I jog for an hour each day. As a child, I was trained in several martial arts. I took lessons up until I was twelve."

"What happened when you were twelve?"

"Changes." Garth said regretfully. "Anyways, I still remember a lot and I'm getting into it all again. In all, I do an average of four hours of exercise every day."

"What made you get into it again?"

"More…changes." Garth looked at the street sign. "My house is just around the corner. Think ya can make it?"

"I suppose."

"You say that word a lot."

"I _suppose_ I do."

"Well, I need a yes or a no. Don't ever "suppose" to me again."

Cecelia was silent for a moment. And then she said, "Yes, I can make it."

Garth stopped Cecelia in front of a small 2-floor home with old rotting shingles and slightly browned grass. The place was not very well kept but Garth couldn't afford anything better since he lived alone.

"Nice place." Cecelia lied and Garth knew it.

Garth opened the door and took Cecelia up to one of the two bedrooms. This room had been converted into an exercise room. There was a punching bag and a few sets of weights and a bench press as well as a floor mat.

"What kind of exercise do you usually do?" Garth asked her.

"Oh, I do a few sit-ups to warm up and then I do my kicking." Cecelia gave Garth a demonstration.

"That's quite the kick you've got there." Garth began to show Cecelia how to handle one-on-one combat more smoothly. True, Cecelia was strong and fairly agile, but she lacked finesse, which was Garth's strong point.

Garth would never admit it, but he was learning from her as well. She forced him to remember back when he did martial arts. Those days were somewhat pleasant, actually. That was back when he was completely human and his parents were still together. He couldn't help but miss his past.

The more Cecelia practiced her skill, the more adrenaline she had. She wanted to fight ghosts now. She wanted to win. She wanted the thrill and the feeling of accomplishment. She wanted to make her father and Garth proud.

"You sure have quite the kick-butt attitude." Garth said to Cecelia.

"I have many sides to me." Cecelia smiled. "Maybe you'll start to see them, because you're like the brother I never had."

"I guess that in some weird way you do feel like family. We have a lot in common, after all. So much more than I expected."

"I like to meditate."

"That's…different."

"I'm sorta into all that Native American stuff. I don't do it very often anymore but back in Antarctica I had all the time in the world."

"Maybe you could show me." Garth said.

"It's very relaxing. And you look like you don't get much of that."

"That's true." Garth and Cecelia finished up.

Cecelia sat down on the mat and Garth sat down facing her.

"Just close your eyes…" Cecelia began.

The next morning, Cecelia got up early and jogged to school. She was not going to take this whole fitness thing lightly. She was determined to buff up. She had also made plans for her and Valerie to stakeout Axion labs tonight.

"Hi Valerie." Cecelia and Valerie walked to class together. "Are you ready for tonight?"

Valerie laughed. "Oh I hope so! I can't wait!"

"Geez, I've never seen you this excited for a stakeout before."

"Stakeout? What? Oh no, that's not tonight is it? I kinda made other plans. Danny and I are going out tonight. I'm hoping he's going to ask me to homecoming."

"Oh yeah, I've been looking forward to that. I know there's the game—which we're going to be at. But why is a school dance so important in your social life?"

"It's a chance to look pretty in front of everyone." Valerie explained. "It's the one night of the year where I go all out. And you should too. You need to get yourself a boyfriend. Then maybe we can double date."

Cecelia thought for a moment about the guys she knew. First there was Tucker, whom she had no interest in. Then there was Garth. She didn't feel that way about him either. And there was Dash. But he was taken. And besides that, she didn't like him. There was only one way this was going to work. Maybe Garth would agree to just go as friends?

After school, Cecelia found that Garth was not there to jog with her. So she jogged to his house. She rang the doorbell three times before Garth finally answered.

"Cecelia, hi." He stood in front of the door, blocking the way so that she could not get in, or see in.

"Who's there?" Came another voice from inside the house. A girl appeared next to Garth. "Cecelia?"

"Sam? What are you doing here?"

"I was following _your_ advice, actually. I asked my friend Garth to homecoming."

Cecelia raised her eyebrows. "Wow."

"I didn't know you two knew each other." Sam said.

"Garth is my martial arts teacher." Cecelia explained. Garth let her into his house now. "And I was just coming over for…my lesson." Cecelia lied. She was somewhat relieved that she wouldn't have to ask such a frighteningly brooding guy to homecoming but also disappointed because she knew there was only one guy left.

"Oh, that's cool." Sam acknowledged. She looked at Garth and smiled. "So I'll see you at six." Sam headed out the door.

"I'll see ya." Garth waved goodbye. He turned to Cecelia. "So what are you _really_ doing here?"

"That doesn't matter now. So are you going to train me or what?"

"I didn't expect to be training you _every_ day. How about every other day? I'll do it for today, but then tomorrow and the next day I won't."

"That sounds fair. So how did you meet Sam?"

The two of them began their exercises with pushups.

"How did _you_ meet Sam?"

"School, duh."

"Sam and I, we, uh, we're part of this team." Garth didn't know of a way to word it where Cecelia wouldn't ask a bazillion questions.

Cecelia gave Garth a confused look.

"We…hunt ghosts." Garth told a half-truth.

"You and Sam…hunt ghosts…together?"

"Yeah."

Cecelia still looked confused.

Garth shook his head. "No, no. There are other people on the team too." Garth spilled.

"Like, who? Anybody I know?"

"I hope not." Garth said under his breath. "You wouldn't happen to know Tucker Foley and Danny…"

"Fenton?"

"Yep, that's the one."

"Actually, I do know them."

"Great." Garth said sarcastically. He knew that Cecelia must not know about Danny's half-ghost side because if she did she'd have blasted him to bits by now.

"You wouldn't happen to know anything about Danny _Phantom_, would you?" Cecelia pried.

Garth got a little nervous, but he didn't show it. "Yeah, yeah, he's the ghost that your father told you to hunt down." Garth let Cecelia move to the punching bag now.

She kicked the punching bag hard. "Have you ever seen him?"

"Seen him? Yes, on rare occasion I have seen him flying around the town."

"But have you ever met him?"

Garth didn't want to answer. He didn't want to fib either. He knew that with a girl like Cecelia, one question would lead to another. "…Yes." He replied.

"Oh." Cecelia didn't expect that answer. "Have you ever…fought him?"

"No."

"Tell me about him. He is my target so I should get to know him after all. Any weaknesses you want to tell me about him?"

"I really don't know that much about him." That was true.

It was Garth's turn to beat up that punching bag. He didn't hit as hard as Cecelia did, but he hit faster.

"You should come with me tonight to stakeout Axion labs. I'm pretty sure Danny Phantom will make an appearance since he's been watching the place."

"Watching it? You don't say…" Garth pretended to be surprised though he knew exactly what Danny had been doing.

"Yeah. Valerie is hoping that he won't make a visit while she's not there to protect it."

"Maybe _he's_ the one protecting it from other ghosts."

"That's highly unlikely."

"Where will she be anyways?"

"On a date with Danny Fenton."

Garth then realized that there really _wouldn't_ be anybody guarding Axion labs tonight since Danny would be gone. He reluctantly agreed to do the stakeout with her just in case some ghost should show up and try to steal from the lab.

Garth arrived at the lab at around eleven at night. It was Cecelia who let him inside. "You're no Valerie, but you're still a friend. That means I'll get to talk to you all night."

"Oh joy." Garth said with heavy sarcasm. He looked around at the gigantic laboratory. It was seemingly empty. "I've never seen everything when it's all turned off. Is there even anyone still here?"

"There is minimal security—all the lab can afford to pay for with all of the break-ins recently. Other than the officers, Mr. Gray is the only other person still in the building." Cecelia turned on her suit that Valerie gave her. She didn't turn on the hover board, though. And then she put on a pair of yellow safety goggles that were also from Valerie. She then armed herself with a small ecto gun and a large plasma gun and the tracker. "All I have to do is get Danny Phantom's DNA and then I'll be able to find him anywhere, anytime."

Garth had to make it his personal mission not to let that happen because he had made an alliance with Danny. "It's just a hunch, but I don't think Danny Phantom will show up."

Cecelia gave Garth a weird look. "Hush." She tiptoed around as if someone else was there besides the two of them.

"What are you doing?" Garth whispered to her.

"Be quiet! There are ghosts about! Don't you hear that?"

Garth listened.

**Please review my stories! Every review counts, even if it's just to tell me you liked the story! Don't be shy ;)**


	14. Chapter 12: The Importance of Honesty

**Danny phantom what happened next**

**By ~PrennCooder**

**Review my stories, please!**

**Chapter 12: The Importance of Honesty**

What he heard was the muffled rattling of metal coming from a few rooms over. Garth's blood rushed to his head and instantly he was afraid. He was lucky Cecelia didn't notice. Garth didn't want to fight a ghost! What if it was a dragon? Garth couldn't reveal his secret to Cecelia. He'd lose her loyalty, and her trust forever.

Cecelia took Garth's shirt and pulled him along. She pressed a button and her suit turned her whole body intangible. And since she was holding onto Garth, he turned intangible too.

"Don't freak out." Cecelia warned him. "It's just a precaution."

Garth rolled his eyes. He had done that before all on his own but Cecelia wouldn't understand. Slowly but steadily, the two creeped down the long, tall corridor deep inside Axion Labs. Garth held his breath for fear that a ghost would jump out at them. Cecelia squinted her eyes and blended into her surroundings, like a feline waiting to strike at its prey. She turned her head slowly to look at the hall for any suspiciousness. As they walked on, the sound grew more boisterous.

Cecelia turned them tangible again.

"This is where it's coming from." Cecelia whispered to Garth. The two of them faced a large black door. Cecelia turned the handle slowly. The handle was cold as ice and her hand left fingerprints on it. Cecelia and Garth stepped inside a large laboratory with many fancy gadgets and things scattered around the room.

They realized that the room was all cluttered. But it was too late, the door closed behind them. It was an old vulture ghost that closed it.

"Just who are you and what are you doing here at this hour?" a second vulture ghost appeared and stood in their way. And a third vulture ghost and a blonde boy were rummaging through items in the lab.

"The question is: Who are _you_? I don't think you belong here!" Cecelia glared at the ghosts and powered up her ectogun.

"We know that." one of the vultures swerved at Cecelia and picked up her gun with its talons.

"And you shouldn't have come over here." The other vulture grabbed Cecelia's plasma weapon, leaving her with only her tracker. She held it in her hands and kept her eyes on both of the vultures.

Meanwhile, Garth was so scared that he trembled. He reached for the one weapon he was carrying: a stinger. It was supposed to zap ghosts and render their powers useless, but since it was made in Fenton Works (and given to Garth by Danny) it probably wouldn't work. But he fired it anyways. A blast was in fact released, but due to Garth's shaky hands, the targets were not hit.

"Ha-ha!" the vultures taunted.

"Quit fooling around!" The blonde boy whipped around and bellowed at them. He was unusually blonde, and his eyes were a dark shade of brown. He had dark circles under his eyes and he was wearing all black. "Keep looking!" he commanded to the third vulture, who was digging in a pile of machinery. The boy turned back to where the first two vultures were encircling Cecelia and Garth. "What are you doing? We're going to win. I've seen it already. Now, pulverize them!"

"Who are you, ghost?" Cecelia asked angrily at the blond boy.

"I'm not a ghost." The blond boy approached them slowly. His vulture had found what they were looking for. The other two vultures tied up Cecelia and Garth after pecking at Cecelia's suit and rendering it broken and useless.

"Help!" Garth cried.

"The only other human in the whole building is Mr. Gray, and he's already tied up." One of the vultures informed them.

"What's your name? Who do you work for?" Cecelia glared at the blond kid with hatred in her eyes.

He glared right back at her with a powerful stare. She felt a shocking pain. But she refused to take her eyes off him. "Not that it matters to you, but I work for the _best_. He's the true leader of this world and everyone knows it. And one day he will acquire the power he's been longing for. And I intend to help him do just that." the blond boy smiled evilly as the vultures blindfolded Cecelia and Garth and gagged their mouths too.

Cecelia and Garth squirmed with all their strength, but soon all was silenced around them. All they could do was wait till dawn.

In the morning, it was Valerie—and a lab workers—who found them. Cecelia explained the whole thing to her father, Valerie and Damon Gray. Garth just snuck out the back anonymously and ran to Danny Fenton's house to tell him what had happened.

After Cecelia finished explaining everything, Valerie gave her a hug. "I'm so glad you're okay. Did you get the blond kid's DNA?"

"No. He was human. And the tracker doesn't work on humans." Cecelia was disappointed. She felt like her whole little mission was a complete failure.

"Don't worry, Cecelia, you'll get other chances." Cecelia's father reassured her.

"And at least we have an eyewitness to the burglaries this time." Damon said. "What do you think they wanted with a charger anyways? That's all that was missing."

Cecelia shook her head. "I really don't know."

"Well, whatever it is, Cecelia and I will be here to stop it." Valerie said bravely.

"But you _weren't_ here." Cecelia said regretfully. "It was all up to me and Garth. And we couldn't handle it alone."

"I know. And I'm sorry. I won't let you down again." Valerie said.

Over at Danny's house, Garth had just finished explaining the whole thing to Danny and Danielle. Danny had been happy all week because of his blossoming relationship with Valerie, and now he was starting to feel down again.

Jack and Maddie were allowing Garth to stay for breakfast, since he did come all this way.

"What do we do about all of this?" Garth whispered to Danny at the breakfast table.

"There's nothing I can say right now except to just keep doing what you have been doing. Tucker will be over here in a bit. He says he has big news and he needed to tell me." Danny said.

Danielle ate her breakfast in such a neat way and all the while she had been listening in on her brother's conversation. She waited until both of her parents had gone downstairs to work on their gadgets before she spoke at all. She turned to Garth. "What are you going to do about Cecelia? Her father is making that…thing that could destroy Danny and I for good."

"Cecelia's not a bad person. And neither is her father." Garth vouched for them. "We'll just have to make a plan to destroy the Equator. But Cecelia can't learn my secret or I'll lose her trust. She'll come after me, and I really don't want to fight her."

"Too bad she isn't on our side. She'd make a pretty good ally. She makes a bad enemy too." Danielle said.

"Maybe there's a way to convince her that all ghosts are not evil." Danny said. "The other day I saved her and Paulina. They were just lucky I was there with Valerie, or else they would have been toast. I still feel kinda bad that I wasn't there last night. Maybe she'd hate me a little less if I saved her life again."

Danielle chuckled slightly. "You do that." Danielle turned to Garth. "And you should be more careful around her. If we are going to get her on our side, it's going to take some convincing. And we'd need Valerie too."

Danny sighed hopelessly. "Valerie will never trust me again if she finds out what I am…she'll hunt me forever."

"Then…that will be the test."

Danny looked at Danielle. "What?"

"Test her love. If she loves you as much as she says she does, then your secret won't matter."

Danny looked down.

"You're afraid she'll reject you. I understand. But it's gotta happen sooner or later, Danny."

The doorbell rang and Danielle got up to answer it. "Hey Tucker."

"Danielle! Hay! Is Danny here?" Tucker spotted his friend over by the kitchen table. "Danny, you'll never guess who called me and asked me to homecoming! Cecelia!"

"No way."

"Yes! And is she smokin' or what?" Tucker looked at Danny, then at Danielle, then at Garth. They were silent. "You don't believe me, do you?" Tucker crossed his arms. "Well I'll inform you that I've got plenty of game! And not just in video games. I think I'm on my way to becoming mega-popular!"

"Tuck, I'm happy for ya." Danny said.

"Then why don't any of you look happy?"

"Because we're going to risk everything to do the right thing, Tucker." Garth spoke for his friends.

"We're going to destroy the equator." Danny said to Tucker. "We have to. If it is completed, then Dr. Hazel will use it to eradicate ghosts starting with me."

"So why are you upset that it'll have to go?" Tucker was still lost.

"Because if it's destroyed, Cecelia's father will lose his job and his money and they won't have anywhere to go. And this will all make Valerie hate Danny Phantom even more." Garth explained.

"Oh." Tucker realized.

Danny looked at the clock. "Oh geez, it's already eight o'clock. We'll be late unless we fly." Danny and Tucker waved goodbye to Danielle and Garth. Then Garth began his walk to work and Danny flew himself and Tucker to school.

Danny and Tucker found themselves running into class in hopes of not being tardy. They walked into Mr. Lancer's classroom just as the bell was ringing.

"Glad you decided to join us, Mr. Fenton and Mr. Foley. Take your seats quickly before I forget whether or not you came in before the bell or after the bell."

Danny and Tucker took seats at the back of the classroom. They couldn't afford any more tardies for this semester or else they'd receive detentions.

"Whew!" Tucker said. He was lucky that Mr. Lancer proceeded with the lesson instead of writing up detention slips.

Danny had his tired head resting on one of his hands as he watched Valerie, who was sitting a few seats in front of him. He looked at her with a love-struck gaze, hoping she would turn around so that he could see her face. When she didn't, he tore off a piece of paper and wrote "Will you go to homecoming with me?" and had the kid in front of him pass it up the row until it was in Valerie's hands.

Valerie looked around the room until she spotted Danny and then she mouthed, "Yes." To him. He smiled and she smiled back. Valerie turned around to see Mr. Lancer standing at her desk. "Ah!" she was startled.

There were scattered chuckles from the rest of the class.

Mr. Lancer took the note from Valerie's hand. He read it. "I'm not sure what this has to do with English, but I'm sure you two are straight A students since you have time to write notes instead of paying attention."

Valerie winced, expecting Mr. Lancer to read the note aloud or give them some extra assignment or something. She was lucky that he gave it back to her and resumed blathering on about the lesson. Truth be told, Lancer was not as bad as the students thought he was.

Soon, it was lunchtime. Danny and Tucker found their way to Sam and the three of them sat at their usual table.

"Why are you so happy today?" Sam asked Danny glumly.

"Valerie said yes!" Danny smiled.

"Now we can triple date!" Tucker patted his friends on the back.

"Oh joy." Sam said sarcastically.

"No, really. You and Garth, Danny and Valerie, and Cecelia and I. Look, there are the girls now." Tucker said as Valerie and Cecelia sat down at the table.

Valerie sat across from Danny and they looked into each other's eyes. Cecelia sat across from Tucker and he stared at her. She avoided his eyes. Sam, who felt like a fifth wheel, ate her salad slowly.

"So are all six of us going together or what?" Tucker asked the group.

"Yeah. My dad said he'll drive us all in my family's RV." Danny said.

"How embarrassing." Sam said.

Tucker gave her a weird look. "What's your problem."

"Yesterday my parents told me that they're going to have me stay in France from January until summer. They're doing this because they say I've been too depressed lately. They want me to perk up, so I'm going to be staying with my nightmare of a cousin Jackie. She's basically Paulina with red hair." Sam had a hopeless expression on her face.

"Well, I'm really going to miss ya." Tucker said.

"Me too." Danny admitted. "I'll webchat you every night."

"So will I." said Tucker.

"Thanks, guys." Sam felt a little better.

"I'm sure it won't be as bad as you're thinking. I have a wacky cousin too. His name is Bob. He's a total cheese brain." Tucker was trying to lighten the mood and expected laughs from people, but the most he got was smiles.

After school, Cecelia went over to Sam's locker. "Would you like to go dress-hunting at the mall with Valerie, Paulina and I?"

"To find a dress for homecoming? I dunno. You probably won't be going to a store that has the kind of dress I like."

"Well, maybe we will. You never know."

"Are you going right now?"

"Yes. Paulina is driving us." Cecelia started to walk away.

"Wait." Sam said. She closed her locker and grabbed her purple spider backpack. "Maybe I will come."

Cecelia smiled and the two of them walked outside to Paulina's pink Fiat. Valerie and Paulina were sitting in the car already. Sam and Cecelia took the back seats.

"What are you doing here, Sam?" asked Paulina.

"Oh I invited her. That'll be cool, right?" Cecelia was learning how to talk to Paulina in such a way that wouldn't offend her. And Cecelia would also get what she wanted.

"Okay." Paulina shrugged. "Let's go, shopping girls!" she said in her typically uppity voice.


	15. Chapter 13: Standing out

**Chapter 13: Standing Out**

At the mall, the first store Paulina spotted was Glamour Girls. That store specialized in fancy dresses, which pleased Paulina greatly.

Cecelia, Valerie, and Sam looked around the store. Pink and red walls dotted with rhinestones and mirrors and chic pop art. Definitely more along the lines of Paulina and Cecelia's style rather than Sam or Valerie. But Valerie didn't seem to mind.

Cecelia had always wanted to wear a bright red dress but she couldn't find a good one yet. Paulina spotted a pretty dress with sparkles at the top and three different shades of pink. It poofed out right at the bottom of the waist, thereby complementing Paulina's body shape. She found one in her size and then went to look for a pair of matching gloves.

Valerie browsed through half the store before she found the right style of dress that would go with her body shape. It was yellow. And she also found an orange flower that went with it well.

Sam looked at all of the black dresses, but none of them were what she was looking for. She eventually just gave up altogether and went over to Cecelia to see what she found.

Cecelia was browsing in the evening-dress section, but she hadn't found anything she liked yet. "Sam, where do you usually go to get a dress?" Cecelia asked her.

"I don't usually buy dresses, but I do know a cool place." Cecelia followed Sam to a store that was only a few down. "Club Goth." Sam took Cecelia into the store. This wasn't Cecelia's idea of fashion. Everything was black and other dark colors. There was hard, rocky music playing.

Cecelia didn't like this at all, but she wanted to support her friend.

Sam had her eyes fixed on a short black dress with purple lace at the bottom and the sleeves were made of black netting. "$104.80." Sam said it as if she was glad it was that cheap. She noticed Cecelia just standing around. "Feel free to go and check something out."

"I don't know how to say this, but I'm not exactly into the goth…" Cecelia looked around and then she saw this dress—this one perfect dress—that was made of black silk and it had a cool red belt on it. "It's perfect!" Cecelia ran to the dress, but she couldn't find one in a size nine. The biggest they went to was size four. "You've gotta be kidding me."

Cecelia looked at the other dresses, but they didn't look appealing. Sam tried on her dress and it looked great on her. Cecelia and Sam waited in line and then Sam paid for her dress with her credit card.

"Are you sure you don't have anything you want?" Sam looked at her.

Cecelia shook her head. The two of them made their way back to the other store where Paulina and Valerie were just finishing up.  
Paulina looked at Valerie. "Now I know where I've seen that dress before! Star has the same one! She bought it three weeks ago! Isn't that great?"

"Great." Valerie was annoyed that Star would be wearing the same dress as her at homecoming. "Why couldn't you tell me that _before_ I bought it?"

"Because I just remembered, silly." Paulina said in her cheerful voice.

Valerie, Cecelia, and Paulina got into Paulina's car again.

"Aren't you coming, Sam?" Cecelia asked.

"No. I'd…rather walk home." Sam said.

Paulina drove away. "I'm so happy now that we've all got our dresses. I can't wait to get all prettied up!"

"I'll say." Valerie said. "What about you, Cecelia?"

Cecelia looked away. "It's going to be a surprise—what I wear to the dance." Cecelia said with unsurity.

"Cool!" Paulina said.

Valerie gave Cecelia a peculiar stare and then turned back around.

Paulina dropped her two friends off at Valerie's house so that they could do their martial arts practice.

"The crowd is going wild. Who will be the winner? Will it be the Casper High Eagles or the Downtown City Chargers?" A brown-eyed announcer man said from his booth.

It was two in the afternoon. Around the football field, Valerie, Cecelia, Paulina and the other cheerleaders gathered around the bleachers and took their seats because the homecoming game was about to start.

The cheerleaders had just finished their routine and the girls were tired. They were also anxious to get into their dresses and some of them went into the bathrooms to start fixing their hair. Among those who did not go were Cecelia and Valerie.

"You should go straighten your hair, Valerie." Cecelia insisted.

Valerie shook her head. "Nah. Look at my hair! It's a mess! I wouldn't even know where to begin!"

Cecelia stood up and yanked Valerie right out of her seat and Valerie resisted all the way to the bathroom. Cecelia found somebody's hair straightener and began working on Valerie's hair.

"What are you doing?" Valerie asked her friend.

"If you're not going to do it then I am. Your hair always looks the same and I think a different hairstyle would be good for you. I'm sure Danny would love it."

Valerie knew that Cecelia was just as stubborn as she was and thus she would not get anywhere by fighting her. So Valerie gave in.

"You're good at this, I assume?"

"It can't be _that_ hard."

"How many times have you straightened hair?"

"Um…"

Cecelia had to crank up the temperature to do Valerie's hair just right. It took around forty minutes to straighten it. Then Cecelia clipped the big orange feather flower into Valerie's thick black hair. Cecelia handed Valerie a mirror and said, "All done!"

"Wow." Valerie smiled at her long, straight, shiny hair. "I look snappy." She turned back to Cecelia. "This is pretty good for your first time straightening hair. It's a little bit singed though, at the ends. And _your_ hair…"

"Ohhh, no you're not." It was as if Cecelia could read Valerie's mind.

"Ohhh yes I am. You're getting curls from your ears down to your waist."

It was Cecelia's turn to pull up a chair while Valerie used a curling iron to put some stylish wave into Cecelia's hair. This only took about fifteen minutes. And then Valerie put on her dress and started to apply her makeup.

Cecelia stared at her reflection. She had never seen her hair with more than just the one curl it had on its ends. "Not bad." She said to herself. She noticed a fully-dressed Paulina standing next to her.

"Now's probably the time you want to get dressed." Paulina said. Paulina was dressed from head to toes in pink and white debutant styles with lovely eye shadow and mascara and lipstick and the works. She even had pink high heels, though they didn't show because her dress was so long that it touched the ground. Paulina walked out to show off her pampered and attractive self.

Cecelia looked down at her red and white cheerleading outfit. "Yeesh. I do have to change." She quickly jotted down to her locker to get her outfit and then jotted back to the bathroom to take a stall.

A few minutes later, Cecelia walked out wearing a pair of baggy grey sweats and an old dark blue tee shirt. She then put on her makeup just like the normal girls did. Although, Cecelia saw out of the corner of her eye that some other girls were giving her strange glances. But Cecelia only smiled.

It was Star who was especially appalled. "Wow, Cecelia. I'd never have known it was you. On top, you're all pretty, but your clothes are just…boyish today."

Cecelia took that as a complement. "Thanks." She walked over to Valerie.

"Whoa, there, girl. You need to get dressed. The game's going to be over soon and the dance will begin shortly." Valerie informed.

"I am dressed." Cecelia smiled proudly.

Valerie rolled her eyes. "You _would_ do something like this." Valerie's yellow dress was very tight and did not look nearly as good on her as it did on Star.

"Shall we go see if our dates are here?" Cecelia held the door open so that she and her friend could exit the bathroom.

"We should probably get Sam first."

"No, she told me yesterday that she was at your boyfriend's house."

"Why? Oh that's right, they're _all_ there."

Cecelia shrugged. She and Valerie watched the football game from outside the window.

"Just so you know, we always lose. Year after year, failure after failure. It's boring, really." Valerie said hopelessly.

"Well, yeah, with that attitude you're not going to win anything." Cecelia looked up at the scoreboard. The Chargers were creaming the Casper High Eagles five to nothing.

The two girls noticed Kwan making a pass to Dash from across the field.

"Will he catch it? _Will he catch it_?" The announcer asked the crowd. "Oh, no! Dash Baxter has dropped the ball and it's back in the hands of the Chargers."

Cecelia and Valerie found themselves cheering for their team.

"Hey wait a minute. We're cheerleaders. I feel like we should be out there." Cecelia said.

"I'm not going out like this! There's mud! And besides, we were dismissed to go get ready." Valerie crossed her arms.

"Oh come on! Have a little fun, won't cha?" Cecelia nagged.

"No." Valerie said stubbornly.

"Fine." Cecelia walked away.

"Where are you going?" Valerie yelled down the hall.

"I'm going to have some fun!" Cecelia yelled back as she opened the door. She went outside to the first row of bleachers and cheered her head off.

When Valerie saw her friend standing out there, she was proud in a weird way. Deep down, Valerie was too afraid of what people would think of her to go out and do something like that. normally, Valerie was fearless, but even she had a fear of rejection just like everybody else. She made up her mind not to go out. And then came the rain.

Cecelia and all the other fans got doused with rainwater, but it didn't seem like they cared. Cecelia didn't even notice. Her hair lost its curl and her makeup was washed away and she brushed the last of it onto her sleeve. She let the rain wash it off.

"With eight seconds left on the clock, is it possible for Dash Baxter to run all the way across the field? Three…two…_Touchdown_! Dash is our hero! With that, the Casper High Eagles take the cake with a final score of seven to five!" the announcer said with excitement.

"Wohoo!" Cecelia cheered for her team. She went back inside to wear Valerie had been standing the whole time. Cecelia smiled.

"You're a crazy one, aren't you?" Valerie gave Cecelia a fist pound.

"Yup." Cecelia wrung her hair. She was drenched head to toe but she didn't mind. Her Converse shoes were covered with mud, but it didn't bother her either.

"Let's go find our dates." Valerie said. She and Cecelia spotted Danny, Tucker, Sam, and Garth all entering the building over at the front door.

Cecelia took a good look at them all. Tucker's suit was a dark green. Danny's was blue. Garth's was navy blue and it looked like it was small on him, so it probably belonged to Danny or Tucker. Sam was wearing that cute gothic dress she had found with the lace and the netting. She even had her hair up in pigtails and she was wearing purple eye shadow.

"Wow, you look so nice, Sam!" Cecelia didn't think Sam would clean up that well.

"Thanks. You look…very original." Sam approved. "I'm glad you decided to take my advice and stand out."

Cecelia chuckled. And then she looked at her date, Tucker, who looked a little queasy.

"You're not an all-out hot cheerleader Barbie doll, are you?" Tucker didn't think Cecelia was so attractive anymore.

"I am, just in a different way. Not the way you might think." Cecelia said with pride.

Danny and Valerie joined hands. "Hi." They said in unison.

"Let's dance." Valerie suggested.

"Okay." Danny and Valerie went into the gymnasium, which was where the party was.

"So…what do you want to do?" Sam asked Garth.

This was really awkward, since Garth didn't know her that well. "I dunno, I'm a horrible dancer."

Sam laughed. This might have been the first time Cecelia and Garth had seen Sam release a genuinely happy emotion. "Just follow me." Sam pulled her date along into the hallway.

That left Cecelia and Tucker.

"I'm not exactly what you expected, am I?" Cecelia asked the nerdy boy.

Tucker shook his head vigorously.

"Do you want to call off the date?"

Tucker nodded happily.

Cecelia was relieved that Tucker only liked her as a friend now. "Okay then." The two of them walked into the gymnasium.

Paulina was dancing with Dash. Star was dancing with Kwan. Valerie and Danny were…sorta dancing. Even Tucker was having fun. Cecelia took a glass of purple raspberry punch and looked around the gymnasium at all the decorations. There was even a banner and everything. The banner looked like it was made in the eighties.

All the girls looked lovely and their men looked so handsome. Cecelia looked in a mirror and chuckled sadly at herself. "I don't really belong here." She said. She went to the bathroom and gathered her things. It wasn't long before she headed home. "At least it stopped raining." The sky was turning into a happy pale blue.

Something whooshed overhead, blocking the sun temporarily. Cecelia looked up and gasped at what she saw. A brown dragon was holding Sam. And she was screaming.

Cecelia's eyebrows got all thin and straight and she glared at the ghost dragon. She reached to activate her suit but then remembered she didn't have it. She didn't know what to do. As if by luck, the ghost and Sam landed on top of the school building.

Cecelia shook her head in disgust at the ghost. "Hang on, Sam, I'll save you." Cecelia determined. She ran back into the school and threw her bag into the hall.

During her mad rush up the stairs, she realized she didn't have anything to fight the dragon with. She'd have to kick some butt the old-fashioned way.

Cecelia climbed up a ladder to the attic and then opened a wooden hatch which led to the roof.

Over by the very edge was the dragon holding Sam. "Oh no! He's going to push her off!" Cecelia worried to herself.

She ran up to the dragon in a vivacious charge.

"Let my friend go!" She punched the dragon and kicked him as hard as he could. He became airborne and set Sam down gently and then made his disappearance.

"What did you just do?" Sam asked in a confused tone of voice.

"I saved your life from being wasted by that dragon!"

Sam was still puzzled.

"I heard you screaming as he pulled you along through the air. And then I saw him almost drop you over the edge here. If I hadn't stopped him, you would have been a gonner."

Sam caught on pretty quickly. "Right, thank you." Sam walked past Cecelia and went back down into the school.

"Hmm." Cecelia said to herself "Something's not right. If that were me, I'd be a little more scared." Cecelia looked under the hatch that she came from. "And how did she know the way down?"

Just then, a shadow fell over Cecelia. She turned around and there was the dragon floating there with his arms crossed and he was glaring at her. He snorted and smoke came out of his nostrils.

"What do you want?" Cecelia assumed a defensive pose and looked at the ghost fearlessly. Though, it wouldn't do much good as she was powerless and he could crush her like a fly within seconds, or roast her like a marshmallow.

"What do _you_ want?" The dragon questioned back with a booming voice, but a rather mild attitude.

"I want you to go away and leave my friends alone! Why do you ghosts haunt this town anyways? Do you really have nothing better to do than to make the human world miserable?" Cecelia's adrenaline was staring to fade and she began to see the full foolishness of what she was doing.

The dragon chuckled. "Wow, have you got it backwards! Not that you'd believe me, but I'll try anyways. I don't _haunt_, I hunt."

"A ghost who hunts ghosts. That doesn't make much sense, now does it?" Cecelia glowered at the ghost. "Quit playing games with me, or I'll defeat you right here and now." She hoped and prayed that he couldn't tell she was bluffing.

The dragon relaxed and gave her a cocky smile. "It seems to me that you have nothing to fight with except your bare hands and feet. I'll remind you that I have fire, a tail, and I'm twelve times bigger than you."

Cecelia sneered at him.

"Anyways, I didn't come back to fight you. I'm here to tell you that I'm not the bad guy. I hunt ghosts just like you do and I'm part of a team. I'm the good guy. And I think we could be on the same side if you'd just keep your mind open and stop being prejudiced against ghosts. Not all ghosts are evil, don't you know."


	16. Chapter 14: When You Meet Enemies

**Review please! Tell me what you think of this chapter! I worked really hard on it. Danny Fenton is trying to convince Cecelia to believe Danny Phantom is a good guy.**

**Chapter 14: When You Meet Enemies**

Cecelia stepped back. "What?" She choked out. "You mean to say that you and a whole bunch of other ghosts...hunt ghosts?"

"Ever heard of _Danny Phantom_?"

"Ugh. Too many times!"

"Well, I'm like him. I'm a good guy. _And_ I'm a ghost. It's possible to be both. I'm even friends with some other humans, like Sam."

"Sam?"

"Yes."

"Why would Sam ever want to hang out with a monster like you when she can be downstairs at the dance having a nice time with her friends Garth, Danny, Tucker and Valerie?"

"Speaking of it, shouldn't you be down there too?"

Cecelia looked down guiltily. "Yeah." She admitted. She realized she had let down her defense pose, and she took her eyes off the dragon. "You really _aren't_ a bad guy, are you?"

The dragon shook his head. "I'm trying to rid the world of them just like you are."

"How did you know that?"

"I just know." The dragon turned intangible so that Cecelia would not know the exact location where he flew off too.

Cecelia went back down the same way she had come up and she put her bags in her locker and realized, "Hey, I'm all dry." And then she went back into the gymnasium.

She looked around and saw Sam and Garth sitting together—that's the way it should be. Valerie and Danny were getting pretty close over on the dance floor.

There were plenty of single people at this place, so there's no good reason Cecelia couldn't enjoy herself. She started dancing. Some people stared at her because she was wearing casual clothes. She waved back at them happily because she was glad to stand out.

It was Tuesday and Tucker was driving to work at the Nasty Burger. He put on the apron and took over his shift like always. His shift was almost over when a thin boy with peculiarly light blond hair and dark circles under his eyes stood at the counter waiting for his order.

"Here you go…Mr. Lester." Tucker handed the strange boy the food that he had ordered.

The boy turned to walk away, but then turned back again. "You know Danny Phantom, don't you?" the boy asked Tucker.

"W-w-what?" Tucker was scared.

"You do! I know it! I don't know how, but you're a friend of his. You're friends with a ghost!"

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Now Tucker was really frightened.

"I'm a psychic. I can see that you are very good friends with the ghost teen known to the world as Danny Phantom."

Tucker pulled the blond boy aside behind a pop machine. "What do you want?" Tucker whispered. He just wanted this punk to get to the point already, but then again Tucker was afraid of what that might be.

"Well, I'd just like you to thank him for not getting in my way. I'd have to admit I was a little irritated about the stories I've heard about him stopping guys like me. But he hasn't come anywhere near me so I'm off the hook."

"Why are you telling me all of this?"

The boy got mad. "Because I want to fight him, okay! You tell him to meet me somewhere tomorrow at noon and I'll show him that he's not the only tough guy around here." the boy stared hard at Tucker. "Axion labs? Great choice." The blond boy smiled, proud of his skill.

"Oh poo!" Tucker realized that the blond boy had just read his thoughts, and Tucker had recently been thinking about tomorrow's field trip to Axion labs. "What if I don't tell him?" Tucker said with a jolt of slight bravery.

The boy frowned. "Oh but you will tell him. I can see the future too." he chuckled evilly and then walked out of the restaurant.

Tucker didn't know what to do. He was glad that part was Danny's job. The drive home had given Tucker some time to make a plan.

It was late Tuesday evening and Danny was online playing some video game and he saw that Sam was online too. He opened up webchat and requested a little talk with her. "Did you have a nice time at homecoming?"

"Yeah, I really like Garth."

"Good."

"You and Valerie seemed to be having fun too."

"We did."

"Cecelia saw Garth giving me a ride and she thought it was a dragon kidnapping me. She totally beat him up and then I went back down to the gym. He told me afterwards that they had a chat and he thinks he earned her trust."

"As a dragon?"

"Yes. But he still doesn't want to tell her his secret just yet. She'll need a little more convincing that some ghosts are not evil."

"Did he tell her about me?"

"Yes. You're the example he used to prove his point."

"What do you think, Sam? Do you think she should be part of the team?"

"I don't know, Danny…she's a good friend and all, but I'm worried she'll turn on all of us once she learns. She's a lot like Valerie."

"Whoa, whoa wait a minute now! We weren't talking about Valerie!"

"You have to face facts, Danny."

"And you need to have a little more faith. This is the big problem here. You don't realize that people _can_ change."

A little beeping sound came from Danny's computer.

"What's that?" asked Sam.

"Tucker wants to talk with us I think." Danny opened a window and it was in fact Tucker.

"Hiya!"

"You're sure in a happy mood." Sam said.

"That's because I've figured the whole thing out!"

"What whole thing?" Asked Danny and Sam in unison.

"How we can get Cecelia and Valerie on our side!" Tucker looked at his friends and waited for their reaction but they didn't give one. "They're both going to Dash's party, right?"

"It's Dash. _Everyone's_ going to be there." Danny said.

"And everyone would like it if Danny Phantom made a special appearance, right?" Tucker hinted. "So you just show up and party and everybody—including Valerie and Cecelia—would see that you're just an ordinary teenager too. And if they still aren't convinced, you can pull them aside and explain everything."

"Are you sure it'll work?"

"I'm not done yet." Tucker was really proud of his little revelation. "Wednesday is the field trip to Axion labs. If a bad guy attacks, I'm sure Danny Phantom will show up and save everybody in the building and then they'll all be grateful to him. They'll see that you're only trying to help. It's not like Cecelia and Valerie can just deny the evidence with the hundreds of witnesses that will be there."

"How do we know there will be an attack at just the right moment?" Sam inquired.

Tucker laughed nervously. "Well, uh, I have something to tell you. There was a blond kid that came into Nasty Burger today and he was psychic. He knew I knew Danny Phantom and requested a fight."

"I don't want to just fight some random ghost without knowing how powerful he is."

"Relax, Danny, he's a human."

"What's his name?" Sam asked.

"His last name is Lester. That's all I know."

Danny sighed. "Allright, I'll do it. If I win, Lester will go behind bars and I'll be the hero. Valerie and Cecelia won't hate me anymore and then what?"

"They can help us destroy the Equator before it destroys you." Tucker theorized.

There was a short pause of silence. "Ya know, it might work." Danny said hopefully. "Let's give it a try. That can't hurt anybody, right?"

It was eight-thirty on the morning of the next day. The kids of Casper High loaded up on the busses for a field trip to Axion Labs. The busses were supposed to sit only two per seat but somehow they jam-packed three to a seat. The whole system was based on assigned seating. Danny stood in line behind Sam and Tucker as they waited to get on the bus.

"Mr. Foley, you're sitting right over there with Kwan and Star." Mr. Lancer assigned Tucker.

Tucker looked over there where Kwan and Star were making out. Tucker only groaned in disappointment and took his seat.

"Ms. Manson, you are with Valerie and Paulina." Mr. Lancer told Sam.

"Figures." Sam said with an irritated grumble. She took her seat and it was obvious Paulina didn't want her there. And Valerie and Sam weren't exactly friends either.

"Mr. Fenton, you're with Dash over there." Lancer pointed.

"Oh no." Danny complained as he walked nearer to his seat. He tried to sit as far away from Dash as possible.

"What do ya know? It's old Fentonio and I haven't wailed on him in a week!" Dash put his fists together and grinned at Danny.

Danny closed his eyes and braced himself for a hit.

"Hi." Said a friendly voice.

Danny opened his eyes and saw Cecelia standing there. She sat down between Danny and Dash.

"Oh hello, Cecelia." Dash was disappointed that she sat there because he couldn't beat up Danny with a girl in between them.

"So are you excited about the trip?" Cecelia asked the guys.

"Yeah, sure." Dash said fakely.

"I know Valerie's dad works there." Danny said.

"I've met him. And I've been here a few times too. It's a really cool place." Cecelia was not good at small talk and she hoped she was not boring them too much.

"I hear there's a lot of ghost attacks." Danny said.

"Yes, but that ghost kid Danny Phantom has been protecting Amity Park forever." Dash spoke. "I'll bet you wish you were a hero like him instead of the dweeb that you are, Fenton." Dash looked at Danny.

"Oh I think Danny Phantom's a fake. He's only about publicity and you know the way he's "always there" to stop a disaster, well I think it's all one big setup. He's just a ghost and nothing good ever comes from them."

"How can you say that? Danny Phantom's my hero!" Dash argued.

"Everybody has an opinion." Cecelia voiced.

Danny was glad he didn't have to argue with Cecelia because Dash was doing a pretty good job of it himself. "I'm going to have to agree with Dash on this one." Danny finally said. "Maybe you should give him a chance, Cecelia. You might be surprised."

"I still don't trust him."

"It's just as easy as trusting Valerie, or me. You trust me, right?" Danny looked at her. Her big purple eyes stared back into him. It was kind of calming, actually. He knew she rarely made direct eye contact with him.

"Yeah, sure. You're good to Valerie and that's all I need to know you're a good person, even though I don't know you very well."

Danny smiled. "See? I can tell you that personally, Danny Phantom is a very good person."

"But that's just it. He's not a person—he's a ghost. And it was a ghost that killed my mother." Cecelia said.

"Oh I'm sorry." Dash said.

Danny lost his smile. "I'm sorry too. I didn't know."

"I'm allright now. But I'll never trust a ghost." Cecelia determined.

Dash began talking to some of his jock friends in the seat behind him. Danny spotted Sam and Tucker and waved to them. Then Danny spotted Valerie and blew a kiss to her. Danny looked over at Cecelia, who was next to him. She looked very bored. Danny knew that Casper High was a half-hour bus ride away from Axion labs.

"Danny Phantom didn't kill your mother." Danny said to Cecelia in a soft tone.

She looked at him peculiarly. She didn't say anything and she didn't have to. She looked down and closed her eyes and tried to make sense of all this. What if Fenton was right? If all this time Danny Phantom had been doing only good for the town, then Cecelia owed him a big apology. A hero was just what this danger-prone town needed and Cecelia thought she was doing the right thing by stopping him. One thing's for sure: she'd be paying very close attention to the next time he shows up.

The bus arrived at Axion labs right as Danny had predicted. Like all of the other students, he got off the bus. The first thing he did was find Sam and Tucker. Danny saw Valerie run to her father and she'd be hanging out with him during the field trip. Danny didn't want to feel like he was intruding, so he let them be.

"Welcome to Axion labs." Damon Gray said once all the students were out of the busses. "I'll be your tour guide today. And just to make it clear, I'm Valerie's father."

Valerie gave her father an embarrassed look.

"But you kids can all call me Mr. Gray." Damon unlocked the doors to the lab. He went on pointing out various items and giving short blurbs about them as the large group moved throughout the building.

Axion labs was more high-tech then Danny remembered. Sam and Tucker stayed close to him because they were waiting for that creepy blond kid to show up.

"Hi guys." Valerie smiled as she approached Danny and his friends.

"Hi Valerie." Sam and Tucker droned.

"Hey Val." Danny gave her a hug.

"My dad's embarrassing me, so I'd rather stay with you guys." Valerie said. She and Danny held hands now as they walked through the large open metal world of Axion labs.

Sam had her arms crossed and Tucker could tell she was mad.

"Well, it's time for lunch break. If you'll follow me to the cafeteria, I'll show you the salad bar and the meat buffet that I had specially catered for teens." Mr. Gray said. All the teens cheered. "We always break a few minutes before noon." Mr. Gray told them as they all entered the cafeteria.

"Noon?" Tucker walked up to Danny and yanked him away from Valerie. "Noon is when Lester will be coming." Tucker whispered into Danny's ear. "I forgot to tell you that yesterday."

"Just be careful. When he comes, I'll take care of him." Danny assured his friend.

Danny and Tucker caught up to Valerie in the meat buffet line while Sam went through the salad bar line. The four of them sat down at an empty table. Cecelia eventually joined them, but she brought along Paulina and Star.

"Hey Valerie, you look nice today." Paulina complemented her friend.

"Thanks." Valerie said. She looked at what she was wearing and it wasn't anything different from what she'd always worn.

Suddenly, there were scattered screams from around the large cafeteria. Danny looked up and he saw to his dismay that there was a pair of green vulture ghosts floating high above.

"We've been sent by our master to battle the ghost boy. So where is he?" One of the vultures asked the crowd.

"Hey you! You're pretty, you can be our hostages." One of the vultures swooped down and grabbed Paulina and the other vulture grabbed Star. The two girls screamed. The vultures whirled them around until they were dizzy and all the more afraid. "There. Now there's no way Danny Phantom would leave them here!"

As people screamed and ran away, Danny, Sam and Tucker found a quiet spot in where Danny could change into his ghost form without being seen. He flew mightily up to the green vulture ghosts.

"Hey where are Valerie and Cecelia?" Sam noticed they were gone. Tucker shrugged and the two of them ran back into the cafeteria to watch Danny challenge the fiends.

"See I knew he would come." One vulture said to the other.

"Now we can blast him just like we were told to do." the other vulture said.

"Who do you work for?" Danny demanded.


	17. Chapter 15: Rivals and Lovers

**Danny Phantom What Happened Next**

**By ~PrennCooder**

**Chapter 15: Rivals and Lovers**

The vulture ghosts looked at each other. "Nobody you know." They said simultaneously. As the vultures charged at Danny, they released their talons and the girls began to fall. They screamed. Lucky for them, Danny was agile enough to swoop down and grab an arm of each of them. He set them gently on the ground.

Star smiled at him and Paulina gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Now for you two." Danny flew at a rapid pace toward the ghost birds. Danny readied a plasma blast in each hand—ready to hit the ghosts. But he missed.

"Ha-ha!" One vulture taunted.

The two vultures split up and flew around in different directions, forcing Danny to keep turning his head to see where the other one was going. He fired many blasts, but the vultures were just too fast. They laughed at him, and he was getting pretty mad.

"Is this what you call a battle, ghost boy?" One of the vultures teased.

Danny angrily threw another blast. Suddenly the vultures froze and a look of fear crossed their faces. Danny looked behind him and there were a pair of girls on hovering metal surfboards. One suit was red and one suit was yellow. Both had helmets to hide their identity, but Danny knew exactly who they were.

"Get outta this lab!" The girl in the red ignored Danny and went straight for the vultures.

"I'm getting just a little bit sick of your faces!" The girl in the yellow yelled at the ghostly birds whom she had recognized from before.

"Great. Now we're outnumbered and outwitted." One of the vultures looked at the other.

"Let's get outta here!" The other vulture panicked. The two vultures tried to make a break for it and the girls blasted them with green goop and they fell to the ground and wailed loudly. The yellow suited girl tied them up with a special ghost rope she had. The vultures couldn't break it but they still squirmed.

The girls laughed. "Don't even try, boys. Besides, there's no actual resistance to ecto-waste." Said the girl in the yellow suit.

The red suited girl swung the tied up birds over her shoulder and flew way dramatically. The yellow suited girl turned to Danny.

Danny Phantom smiled. "Thank you for saving me." He said sincerely.

She glowered at him. "Don't think you'll be getting off that easily. I heard that you're the one that they wanted to fight."

"So? They're not going to harm anyone now, and that's what matters."

"My point is that there wouldn't be a problem if _you_ weren't around. Look at this place!"

Danny looked at the room surrounding him and aide from the small clumps of people there were ectoblasts and plasmablast residue all over the walls, ceiling and floors. And there were a few holes too.

"And now there won't be any more trouble because I'm taking you in." the yellow suited girl took him in a sudden headlock just long enough to tie him up with the unbreakable string and gad him and blindfold him. There was something on that gag cloth that made him all woozy. He didn't even get a chance to react before he was out cold.

There were many mixed reactions from citizens as they watched their hero get carried out of Axion labs by the yellow suited girl.

She waved to the red suited girl who was standing outside waiting for her to follow.

As soon as the yellow girl was clear away from Axion labs, she thought about the next step in her plan. She looked down at her arms and she was holding the ghost boy. He looked all tired an innocent with his face relaxed and eyes closed.

The girl remembered what her friend had told her only a few hours ago—how Danny Phantom was a hero and he would never hurt anybody. And there he was, all bound up and ready for delivery to her father. She had been waiting so long for this moment.

But on the other hand, there he was, a possibly innocent kid who was only trying to do the right thing. What _is_ the right thing to do, anyways? The girl lost flight and landed her metallic hover board on the ground where she clicked her feet together and it disappeared back into her suit. She walked into an alleyway, still carrying the ghost boy.

What she couldn't get out of her mind was the decision to watch closely at what the ghost boy does before judging him. She loosened the knots on the string just enough so he would be able to slip his hand through when he wakes up. She hid him in a dumpster and closed the lid, then pretended to faint onto the ground.

It was not long before the red suited girl realized her companion was no longer following her. She retraced their path and found her friend lying in the alley seemingly unconscious. "Cecelia!" The red girl gasped.

"Ohhhh what…happened?" She pretended to be waking up while her friend rushed to her aid.

"Do you think you'll be allright? Do you want to fly with me? Did that Phantom trick you into going here so he could beat you up?"

"No, no, Valerie. I didn't exactly see how he got away." Cecelia knew that was true. "But he didn't harm me at all." Cecelia made that clear. "He used that gag thing on me and I passed out." Cecelia knew that was a lie, but how else could she explain it without Valerie getting mad at her for setting the ghost boy free?

"Hmm." That was all Valerie said.

She and Cecelia hopped on their hoverboards and flew off to the Government Guys in White lab. They entered with the bounty and walked through the lab until they came to Dr. Hazel's office. The pair of doors slid open and Dr. Hazel welcomed them.

The girls took off their helmets and Valerie thudded the two ghost vultures on the table.

"Well done, girls! Wow, two real ghosts!" Dr. Hazel had some professionalists come in and unbind the vulture ghosts and keep them in cubicles that rendered their powers useless. "What's the situation on Danny Phantom?" Dr. Hazel asked in a serious tone.

Cecelia looked up at her father. "We don't have him."

"_Actually_, he got away." Valerie corrected. "We had him for a few moments but then, well, he..."

Dr. Hazel was upset. "I just received a call from your father, Valerie, about all the damage Danny Phantom caused for Axion labs. They don't have the money to keep paying for these…disasters that he causes."

"Dad, it wasn't Danny's fault entirely." Cecelia pointed out. "Those two vulture ghosts came into the cafeteria demanding a battle with him and they kept teasing him, and well, he missed when he tried to hit them."

Dr. Hazel paced. "Cecelia, you know that's the ghost Damon Gray wants. I'm almost finished with the Equator and I want to test it on _Danny Phantom_."

"Why him, dad?"

"Because Damon wants the crime stopped!" Cecelia's father snapped.

"I'd better go." Valerie slipped out of the room quietly.

The other technicians took the birds into another room for examination.

Cecelia's father frowned at her. "Please don't tell me you've been fooled by the flimsy show he's been putting on? Tell me what you think of him now."

"Danny Phantom…well he…he saved Paulina and I. I've been thinking about it for many days now and I'm beginning to think he's not such a bad guy. I've been putting all of the pieces together. At first I thought it was a setup, but then I remembered the incident at Axion labs where he saved Valerie and I—"

"There was a previous incident at Axion labs?" Cecelia's father eyed her suspiciously. She hated it when he did that. "How come you didn't tell me that you've actually met Danny Phantom before?"

Cecelia hesitated and looked downward, purposely evading her father's eyes. "I thought you might get mad." She said quietly.

"Oh, Cecelia I'm not mad. If anything, I'm upset that you don't trust me like this. Tell me what happened."

"Well I basically just did. He saved us. That's it. And there wasn't a catch either. It's like he was doing this all out of the goodness in his heart."

"All ghosts are evil, Cecelia! How could you even think that a ghost's work could be used for anything besides that? It was a ghost who killed your mother, remember!"

Cecelia was almost ready to start tearing up. Her father noticed and tried to calm her down.

"I'm sorry to just go off on you like that. It won't happen again. You know I love you and I'd do anything for you. I said the same thing for your mother, too. I loved her very much. And she loved both of us. I think if she were here somehow, she'd want you to avenge her death."

"You don't get it, dad!" Cecelia broke away and tears started rolling down her cheeks. "Danny Phantom didn't kill my mother!"

Cecelia's father looked at her all forlorn.

"I don't want to do it anymore! I don't want anyone to hurt Danny Phantom!" She began to sob and she put her face in her hands.

Mortimer Hazel kept a distance away from his daughter. He didn't know what to do. "What has made you think this way?" he demanded to know.

"My friends. I consider Danny Phantom a friend too. All this time, he's been trying to fix everything and we've been getting in his way. Well, I won't let that happen anymore." Cecelia determined fiercely. Her stern eyes cut through the watery tears and glared right back at her father.

"I don't even know whose daughter you are anymore." He stared hard at her. "Give me your bracelet that activates your suit."

Cecelia hesitated.

"Now!" her father bellowed. She complied. "You want to do it this way—fine. You're done." He said coldly. He turned his back on her and she opened the door.

Cecelia gasped. She wasn't expecting to see Garth Lloyd standing there. "You didn't hear all of that, did you?"

Garth put a friendly arm around her for comfort. "Let's get you back to school, little sis." Garth and Cecelia got into his car and they drove back to Axion labs where the field trip was still going on.

Meanwhile, back at the Guys in White lab, Dr. Hazel was having a private word with Valerie. "You will bring me Danny Phantom, won't you?" he asked her.

"You bet, Mr. Hazel." Valerie looked at Cecelia's suit while Dr. Hazel was inspecting it. "What are you looking for?"

"You told me you _had_ the ghost kid but he got away. Well, here it is. A white hair." Dr. Hazel handed Valerie the single hair that could only have come from Danny Phantom's head. "Put this in your tracker and you'll be able to find him."

"Thank you, Dr. Hazel." Valerie took the hair and smiled.

Garth made sure that Cecelia had found her group before he left. "Over there, I see Sam." Cecelia pointed.

"Tell her I said hi." Garth said as he walked back to his car.

"You like her, don't you?" Cecelia figured out.

Garth didn't answer.

Cecelia went over to her friends Sam and Tucker. "Hey guys." They looked at her odd because they knew the whole truth. But since Cecelia didn't know that they knew, she was confused as to why they weren't being friendly. "Where's your friend Danny? I'd like to talk to him."

Sam and Tucker exchanged worried glances.

"Uh Danny went home." Sam said.

"Yeah, he's pretty sick." Tucker added.

"Oh shoot! I was sitting next to him for the whole bus ride!" Cecelia didn't want to catch what Danny had.

Sam and Tucker took a few steps away. "Then we'd best keep a distance, huh?" Tucker said nervously. Soon Sam and Tucker were so far away that Cecelia could not distinguish them from the crowd that was the students of Casper High.

As Sam and Tucker were avoiding Cecelia, they also kept an eye out for Danny.

"What do you think she did to him, Sam?" Tucker was worried.

"I don't want to think about that. Let's just find Danny."

"How do you suggest we do _that_?"

"We should probably go to his house and get the Fenton Boo-merang. I think it's still tuned into Danny's ecto-signature." Sam said. She noticed Valerie enter through the doors. Sam might have been the only one who saw Valerie rejoin the crowd. "Tucker, you fake sick to a teacher. I'll keep Valerie busy. Why do I get the idea she's somehow behind this?"

"Rodger." Tucker said. He went over to Mr. Lancer. "Mr. Lancer, I feel wooooozy." Tucker put his hand on his forehead and wobbled around.

"Hmm." Mr. Lancer stared at the nerdy boy.

"I have to go hooooome." Tucker moaned.

"And just what are you sick from?" Mr. Lancer asked doubtfully. He didn't believe Tucker for a moment.

"I have…bowel…swine…cancer…cardiac…flu."

"Wow, that's a long complicated name!" Lancer suddenly believed. "Call up your mother and have her take you home before you get everyone else sick! And more importantly, me!" Mr. Lancer shoved Tucker out of Axion labs.

As soon as Lancer was out of sight, Tucker dropped his disguise. With quick, ninja-like moves, Tucker glided to the brick wall where he leaned dramatically. He flipped open his phone and speed-dialed Sam. "I've made it out safe and I'm on my way to the Fenton's house. What's your position?"

"Quit fooling around, Tucker!" Sam whispered harshly. She couldn't risk being caught with a phone or it might get confiscated. Sam was attempting to catch up to Valerie. "Wait, Tucker, your parents are out of town and the Fenton's house is twenty minutes away!"

"I realize that." Tucker said. A car door opened and Sam heard it from the other end of the line. Then came a whooshing sound and the loud cry of car horns.

"You called up Mr. Fenton, didn't you?" Sam asked bluntly.

"Yup." Tucker said proudly. "Hey Sam, I gotta go." Tucker hung up.

As Sam approached Valerie, she put on a forced smile. "Hey, Valerie."

"Oh hi Sam." Valerie said uninterested.

"Look, I'm sorry for being mean to you before. It's just that, well, Danny is my best friend and I've always been a little protective of him."

"So I've noticed."

"Are we, ya know, cool, now, sorta?"

Valerie warmed up a little and she maybe even smiled. "Yeah, sure."

After the field trip was over, the kids all got picked up by their parents. All except for Valerie, who was deciding to preceed to her destination on foot.

Sam knew she couldn't simply follow Valerie because that would be way too obvious. What to do, what to do.

Back at the Fenton's house, Tucker had been searching in the Fenton secret lab for the Boo-merang. Tucker had been searching frantically for hours. "Finally, I've got it!" Tucker said heroically as he stuffed the Boo-merang into his backpack.

On the way up the stairs, he looked on the couch where Jack Fenton had fallen asleep.

"Tucker, what exactly happened to Danny?" Danielle stood in the way of Tucker leaving the house. "I don't believe that ridiculous story you told my parents about you and Danny "switching lives" for a night. And where do your parents think _you_ are?"

"Take it easy, Danielle." Tucker said wearily. "Danny's been kidnapped by Cecelia and Valerie—probably per request of their fathers." He whispered close to her.

Danielle gasped. "Well, we knew it was only a matter of time before something like this happened."

"Yes, I know, I just didn't believe they'd actually carry through like that."

Danielle stepped out of Tucker's way and he proudly made his way outside. "Just wait a minute now. I'm coming with you."

"No, Danielle, it's too—"

"Dangerous? That's Sam's line! And besides, anything I do, my brother can too." Danielle smiled. "I'm coming with you."

Tucker surrendered.

"We'll need to take the Specter Speeder if we want any chance of finding Danny before the sun goes down." The two of then went downstairs.

"But what about your parents?"

**Review this chapter plese! I may not reply, but I ALWAYS READ MY REVIEWS! Awsumz! Thanks everyone. :D**


	18. Chapter 16: DNA

Dp what happened next by PrennCooder

**Chapter 16: DNA**

"Chill. My mom's doing a special meeting with the mayor and dad, well, he's sleeping."

"The mayor? Hey that's _my_ dad! By the way, my parents think I'm sleeping over here. I called them right after I faked sick to get out of the field trip early."

"Wow, you're so bad." Danielle started up the Speeder's engine and she and Tucker got inside. Danielle drove and turned the Speeder intangible when needed.

"Find Danny." Tucker commanded the Boo-merang. He threw it outside and it flew around in its own style. The Specter Speeder followed closely behind.

Meanwhile, it was Sam's mother who picked her up from school. "Hi, sweetycheeks!" Sam's mother waved to her.

Sam quickly got into the car and slammed the door. "Mother I need you to do something for me. See that girl over there in the yellow shirt? I need you to follow her!"

Sam's mother chuckled in her high-pitched way. "That's not very nice, honeybuns. You need to find other things do occupy your time like knitting or taking debutant lessons." Sam's mother chirped.

Sam groaned hopelessly and she dialed Tucker while mom droned on and on about debutants. "Tucker, I'm afraid I will be unable to complete the mission." She knew that the secret-agent talk would make him happy.

"Don't worry, Sam, we'll find Danny, eventually. I've got Danielle with me here and we're in the Specter Speeder. You just relax and let a man handle this. Over."

Sam laughed fakely. She knew he was just joking with her. "Goodbye."

Behind a building where nobody could see her, Valerie pressed a button and her suit appeared. She took out her tracker and turned it on so that it would be able to find Danny. But she didn't get the result she was expecting. Everywhere the Phantom kid had been, sat, eaten, drank, and even touched made the tracker go crazy. Apparently it reacted to wherever his DNA was, is, or had been.

"This is going to take forever." She muttered as she flew through the town. "It shouldn't be too hard to find the hardest concentration of his DNA, and then, I'll have him." Valerie looked around.

The ghost boy's DNA was literally almost _everywhere_ in Amity Park from the streets to the sky to the Nasty Burger to the mayor's house to the suburbs. And the compass that was supposed to point the way to him was acting all wonky. Truthfully, Valerie didn't know which signal to follow.

Suddenly, the tracker had a beeping fit. "Uk, what's wrong with this thing!" Valerie hit it lightly a few times and then looked down. Below was the alleyway was where Valerie had found Cecelia earlier. It was also the place where Danny had escaped.

"RECENT DNA FOUND." An automated voice came from the tracker.

"Recent DNA, huh?" Valerie looked inside the dumpster and sure enough, there was ghost boy DNA written all over it. "I knew it! She _did_ set him free!" in her anger, she let the dumpster lid fall and make a loud crashing sound. "She lied to me." Valerie walked a few feet and suddenly the compass was working, sort of. "He must have gone this way." she theorized.

For hours, Valerie followed the trail of the ghost boy. Night was nearing and she began to feel like she was following an endless maze. She was tired and hungry. She wanted to take a break. She wanted to give up an hour ago. But the thrill was just too great. "Cecelia would have loved this." Valerie reminded herself why she was doing this.

With every passing moment, Valerie kept trying to convince herself she was getting closer to finding Danny Phantom.

Through tunnels she flew, and over small rivers, past city houses and over tall building she went. The night had fully come and Valerie looked everywhere, and _I mean everywhere_, for her target. "Where is he?" She was growing angrier and angrier with frustration. She didn't want this to all be for nothing. She had already staked out three coffee shops and a Wal-Mart but Danny hadn't gone to either of those.

Eventually, Valerie found herself in her own neighborhood and it was there that she decided to call it a day. She took off her suit and went inside with the tracker. "I'll find you, tomorrow, Phantom." Valerie said to herself. She yawned and fell asleep at the dining room table.

Outside, Tucker and Danielle were not having much luck finding Danny either. "It shouldn't be taking this long." Tucker yawned. "And we're still in Amity Park, so Danny couldn't have gone far."

"I think we need to go home before my parents start to think something's up." Danielle suggested as she steered the Speeder back home after she retrieved the boomerang. "I don't get it." Danielle looked up into the sky. "Danny's still out there somewhere. I hope he's okay." Danny and Tucker slipped into the Fenton house quietly and luckily Jack and Maddie didn't notice they were gone for hours.

The next morning, Sam woke up rather early—even before her parents were up—and gave Tucker a call. "Did you find Danny last night?" she asked with worry in her voice.

The ringing of the phone had awakened Tucker from his good night's sleep. "What? Oh, no, Sam, we didn't find him. We followed that tracking device late in the night but it kept leading us in circles. I really don't know where he could be that it's not finding him."

Sam was silent for a moment. "Goodbye." She had lost all the hope that used to be in her gothic voice. She couldn't help but think of what might happen if her best friend didn't come back. "I'll arrange a meeting later." She idealized. She called Garth first and then explained the whole thing. Next, she called Tucker and told him to tell Danielle.

"Stop following me!" Cecelia walked forward but Danny Phantom blocked her way.

"I have to know why you set me free!" Danny was frustrated. "And I wasn't following you. I was trying to get away from your friend in the red suit. She's using the tracker to find me. And if I don't keep moving, she'll catch up to both of us. So tell me why you set me free and I'll go."

"I already told you I don't know! Now will you please leave me alone before I change my mind!" Cecelia turned the other direction, but Danny flew beside her.

"You can't capture me again because you got your suit taken away."

"How did you know that?"

"It's just a hunch. Your father was that mad, huh?"

"Well, I kind of disobeyed him. What I did wasn't right in his eyes." She sulked lowly.

"What do _you_ think is right?"

"Stop asking me all these questions! I'll defeat you!" She assumed a defensive pose.

"You've been capable of hitting, kicking, and punching me all night and the most you've done is make threats. I think you _want_ to tell me because you know there's something wrong with what your father's been doing." Danny said calmly.

Cecelia could see he was very much unafraid of her. Maybe he knew she wasn't going to hurt him. But how could he possibly tell? Was it a bluff?

"Look, ghost, if you really have to know that badly, I'll admit I was never crazy about my dad's Equator. As much as I love hunting ghosts and fighting them, I would never go so far as to torture and dissolve them into electricity. So, no, I'm not with my father on that one."

"Then why did you help him in the first place?" Danny asked calmly. He knew that anger would get him nowhere.

"Because he's my father! And in the beginning, I _did_ believe all ghosts are evil."

"What changed your mind?"

"You. And that dragon ghost I met at homecoming."

Danny smiled. He knew exactly what she was talking about, even if she didn't know he knew. "Hey, how would you like to come to someplace where you'd be completely safe and you'd never be told to do something like that again?"

"What?"

"I have a team of humans and friendly ghosts who help me out when I'm in trouble. We fight bad ghosts too."

"I don't know…"

"Come on, It's a small group. I'll set up a meeting and we can go right now."

"But I have to go to school—"

"But we're off from school because of parent/teacher conferences."

"Oh, right, I forgot. Who's "we"?"

"Did I say "we"? I meant "you"." Danny chuckled nervously.

"Alright, I'll come." Cecelia agreed against better judgment.

"Great!" Danny said. He took her by the arms and turned them both intangible and he flew them rapidly to the bedroom of Sam's mansion.

"Danny!" She hugged him tightly. "You're okay!"

"We need to have a meeting," Danny and Sam looked at Cecelia, "With _everybody_."

"That's perfect because I already set one up! We'll all go down into the home theater. My parents are asleep so we won't have to worry about them. And my grandma went shopping. The team will be arriving any minute now." Sam led Danny and Cecelia downstairs to the home theater room. And then the doorbell rang and Sam got up to answer it. The first arrival was Garth.

It was only minutes later that Danielle arrived with Tucker because she had flown him here with her. They all went down to the theater room.

"Everybody, this is Cecelia. She's joining the team." Danny Phantom announced proudly.

"Danny!" Tucker gave him a hug.

"Bro, you're okay!" Danielle gave Danny a big hug too.

"Okay, okay we're down to this: the Equator is almost finished, and we need to know what to do about that." Danny spoke to the group.

"And Valerie." Tucker added.

"She's probably tracking me right now, but the paths I've flown in the past few hours will really keep her busy." Danny admitted, stifling a laugh or two.

"How did you know it was Valerie in the red suit?" Cecelia asked. Everybody stared at her silently.

"We have ways." Sam said somberly.

"So about the Equator. Anybody got any ideas?" Danny asked.

"I could destroy it." Cecelia spoke up. "I know all of my father's codes and I know exactly where it is and how to self-destruct it."

Once again, they all stared at her.

"That's a good idea, but I can't risk you getting hurt or killed. I'll have to be the one to do it. We'll have to set up a date and together we'll destroy it." Danny decided.

"Why together?"

"Because I can turn us intangible when it explodes and we won't get hurt."

"I'm in." Cecelia decided.

"Good."

"What do we do once Valerie does find you? And how are we going to convince her that you're not the bad guy?" Tucker asked Danny.

"At Dash's party, I'll have a talk with her."

"Are you sure she'll want to just…talk?" Sam asked.

"We'll all be there so we'll all need to help. If we all talk to her one at a time, maybe that'll help." Danielle suggested.

"No." Garth said somberly. "That won't work. Valerie's not a very trusting person. She'll need to be convinced. She'll need good, hard evidence that Danny's not a bad guy." Garth turned to Cecelia. "You know Valerie more than any of us. So tell us. What'll it take for her to believe?"

"I really don't know. She'll have to see something very special—something to throw off her strange sense of logic—something she can't explain."

"I know just the thing!" Danny said with a satisfied smile. "I think this actually might work!"

"What is it?" Sam asked.

"It's going to be a surprise." Danny said. "I'll let you know at Dash's party. But for now, the meeting is adjourned."

"Let's all go to the Nasty Burger." Tucker suggested. There were mixed reactions of agreement and they all walked outside.

"Actually I think I'll be going home now." Cecelia said. The five others waved goodbye to her and then she began her round towards home. All the way she thought about destroying the Equator it would be the only way possible to somehow justify all she had done to Danny. Even if he had forgiven her, she still wouldn't be able to forgive herself until the job was done.

Somehow, Cecelia just felt "good" about the way the meeting had gone. Sam, Tucker, and Garth were her friends and she trusted them. She trusted Danny Phantom now too. She didn't know the younger black-haired girl, but was sure she would turn out to be a good person too.

Cecelia had to admit to herself that she was surprised at how things turned out. She thought everything would be hopeless once she disobeyed her father.

But now the sun was coming up and everything was looking brighter and in a way Cecelia almost forgave her father to the point where she said "Hello" to him as she passed him on the way to her bedroom at home.

"Cecelia," he called her back, which she did not expect, "I've finished the Equator and I thought you should know."

Cecelia felt a brittle shiver climb up her spine. She walked onward and didn't dare look back because she was afraid of what she might see.

It was late in the Friday afternoon and Sam was writing in her story notebook by the window. She let the cold November air blow in and it pleased her. She looked outside when she saw something flying around out there. It was a girl in a red suit. Danny really wasn't kidding when he said Valerie would be busy for a while.

But then Sam realized that Danny had just flown past that spot only minutes ago. Sam quickly found her cell phone and called Danny. But he wasn't answering. "Ugh!" Sam exclaimed in frustration. "He always forgets to bring his phone when he goes ghost!"

Outside, Danny was taking a peaceful flight around town. The sun was beginning to set and the birds were starting to return to their nests. Danny waved to some small schoolchildren who were fans of his. Then Danny flew past the city sign. "Amity Park: A Nice Place To Live" was what the sign said.

There came a loud blast from behind and Danny dodged it just in time. He now faced the red-suited Valerie, who had been flying around trying to catch Danny for a long time.

"I'm glad you decided to come out and fly again. I had almost lost your trail." Valerie said triumphantly.

Danny flew away at top speed. But still Valerie followed him. And she matched his speed wherever he went. It was a long time before he gave up. "What do you want?" He asked her out of breath.

"I want all the robberies to stop and I want my father's lab to stop being the target for your ghostly mayhem." Valerie and Danny circled each other similar to what is done at a wrestling tournament.

"You don't understand. I was _protecting_ your father's lab. If you let me go, I'll prove it to you by Dash's party."

"That's in less than a week!" Valerie exclaimed. She readied several weapon fires and aimed them all at Danny.

Danny put his hands in the air in surrender. "And if I don't meet up to your expectations, I'll turn myself in. and you know from what happened the last time that I keep my word."

Valerie slowly lowered her weapons. "I'll settle for no less then to have my mind blown. If your little "surprise" is anything less, you _will_ regret it." and with that, Valerie flew away rapidly.

Danny drifted home. Once he was on solid ground, he changed back into Danny Fenton and went inside his house. He marched right up to his bedroom with a smile on his face.

Danielle followed him. "What are you so happy about?" She asked her brother.

"Oh…nothing that you need to worry about." he said smugly.

"Tell me! I need to know!" she pestered him.

"If you insist—"

"I do."

"Then I'll tell you. It's my plan. My plan's going perfectly! That's all I can tell you as of now, but at Dash's party you'll see it all come into place."

A frustrated Danielle walked out of Danny's bedroom and closed the door.

After Danielle was long gone, Danny picked up his cell phone and called Valerie. "Hey Val, it's your boyfriend."

Valerie giggled from the other end of the line. "Hey you."

"How would you like to go to Dash's party with me? I've been waiting for the perfect time to ask you and I think this is it."

"Of course I'd like to go with you!" Valerie chirped.

"I'll pick ya up at four."

"It's a date." Valerie squealed, delighted, as she hung up her phone.


	19. Chapter 17: The Equator

**Chapter 17: The Equator**

Cecelia Hazel sat quietly in the center of her bedroom floor and meditated. She was trying hard but could not focus her mind. She took a few deep breaths and then let them out slowly. She looked so peaceful. She had taken the time to relax every muscle in her body. She meditated on her energy.

But something blocked her focus. Something tore her away from it all and she began to imagine what would happen when she and Danny destroyed the Equator.

"_Cecelia, what's the password to the self-destruct?" Danny Phantom asked her._

"_3414159." _

_Danny Phantom pressed a sequence of buttons on the Equator's command module control. _

"_DR. HAZEL, YOU HAVE INITIATED THE SELF-BREAKDOWN OF THE EQUATOR. YOU HAVE FIVE SECONDS TO CLEAR THE BUILDING." Rang an automated voice. _

_Several alarms began to sound and the Equator ticked away. Danny grabbed Cecelia's hand and made the two of them intangible. Danny closed his eyes, but he held onto her tight. Cecelia watched as her father's hard work imploded on itself and destroyed the entire building. All that remained was black ash and soot. _

"_Nooooo!" Cecelia cried. "My father and Garth and all the other technicians, they died! Noooo! I'm a murderer! I'm a muuurrrrdeeerrrrerrrr!"_

Cecelia's eyes opened and then she remembered she was only meditating. "It's just my imagination." She said to herself. "It isn't real." But her voice was shaking and her body was trebling. There had to be another way!

Cecelia took another set of deep breaths—in and out over and over. She couldn't bear to close her eyes so she kept them open and looked down at her hands. She realized she had been holding onto her bedpost to keep from vibrating.

It was then that she got an idea. It was the only way that things could work out for the better of those around her. Cecelia was in debt to her friends, especially Danny—who saved her life—and Valerie—who is an exceptional friend—and Garth—who looked out for her—and Sam—who helped her be unique—and Tucker—who cheered her up. "I know what I have to do." Cecelia said.

She set aside all of her fears while also making the date—Dash's party. _Everyone_ will be there. Dash wanted to go all out for his birthday so he invited the entirety of the Casper High student body over to his house.

And since December 3 was a holiday called "National Roof Over Your Head Day", all adults were off work and kids were off school.

That meant that nobody would be at the Government Guys in White lab.

Cecelia's father would be at home sleeping in.

Danny Phantom, Sam, Tucker, Dash, Paulina, Valerie, Danny Fenton, Garth, Star, Kwan, and everybody else would all be at the party which started at four.

Cecelia knew where _she_ would be.

Hands clapped around the giant open facility of the Government Guys in White laboratory as Dr. Hazel proudly announced the completion of the Equator. The clapping echoed throughout the large open building. But Cecelia Hazel was _not_ clapping.

Back in Dr. Hazel's office, Mr. Black and Mr. White had a special conference with him in which Cecelia listened in through the door.

"We'll be testing it tonight on those two vultures that Valerie brought us." Dr. Hazel said to his employers.

"Excellent work, Hazel." Said Mr. White.

"I'm glad we hired you after all." Said Mr. Black.

"According to my calculations, the energy from 1 vulture ghost will be able to power this entire facility for three hours." Dr. Hazel explained.

"Wow." Said Mr. Black and Mr. White in unison.

"I have no other choice but to promote you to a salary of $300,000 a year." Mr. White said.

"Thank you! I've only been working here for three months and you'll give me that sum as a year's wager?"

Mr. Black and Mr. White nodded. "You've earned it." They said together.

Cecelia's mouth was wide open. She was appalled. She scampered away from the door quietly, long enough for Mr. Black and Mr. White to leave.

Cecelia stood in a shadowed hall near the back of the giant lab. She'd been thinking. Hard. Her father had always told her she was strong. But Cecelia had been slowly realizing that true strength was not measured physically, but rather by humble moral standards.

Cecelia snuck down to a room in the lab that was supposed to be secret. It was the small dark excuse of a room that the vultures were kept in their cubicles.

There was the pair—all tired and dehydrated and hungry. They'd been crammed in there for days awaiting their doom.

"I suppose you've come to brag, little Hazel girl." One of the vultures said to Cecelia.

Cecelia silently looked at them. The other vulture moaned dramatically and it startled Cecelia a bit. The moaning got louder. "Hush!" Cecelia finally said and the moaning stopped. "I'll need a favor for you in exchange for your freedom." She whispered.

"Freedom? You helped catch us, remember!" One vulture staggered to the chipped talons he called feet.

Cecelia sighed. "Yes, and I'm sorry. But once I let you go, I'll need you to make sure my father _stays away_ from this lab on December third, got it? Oh, and one more thing. You tell your master to leave Danny Phantom and his friends alone. Tell your master that I'm sending you as a token of my mercy."

"Wow. Didn't see that one coming." Said a vulture.

Cecelia squinted at them hard to show them she was not kidding. "I'm not like my father. I don't want to kill ghosts."

"Technically we're already dead." A vulture imputed.

"_Do we have a deal?_" Cecelia asked slowly.

The vultures looked at each other they were sweating. They could already _taste_ their freedom. They hesitated in giving her an answer. She was still the daughter of the enemy. "We have a deal." They said together.

Cecelia picked up the yellow suit bracelet that was sitting on the nearby table. She put it on and with the press of a button she was wearing her yellow suit again. It felt good.

Cecelia walked over to a control panel where she entered a series of complicated command codes onto a computer. And then she pressed another combination of buttons, letters, and numbers and digits into another monitor. The vultures' cubicles released and they flew into the air.

"Thank you for setting us free, Hazel girl." One of the vultures said.

"As long as you keep your end, we won't have a problem." Cecelia looked at them with that same fierce determination that she always had. "But aside from that, don't mention it."

The vulture ghosts phased through the walls and flew far, far away from the Government lab. They might have even gone back home.

Cecelia couldn't resist letting a smile appear on her face now that the vulture ghosts had been set free. She knew they probably wouldn't keep up their end, so that's why she gave them a no-brainer job. Cecelia knew that the only thing her father ever did when he was off work would be to sleep in.

Cecelia put everything back the way it was before she came in—except for the vultures and the suit—and then Cecelia pressed the intangibility button and flew herself out of the lab so she could go enjoy herself once more.

As she flew around aimlessly on that hovering surfboard of hers, she closed her eyes and pretended for a moment that her life was allright. In truth, her life was on its way to being all right but it hadn't gotten their yet.

Suddenly there was a strange darkness that blocked the sun from meeting with Cecelia's closed eyelids. She opened them. There stood the very brown dragon Cecelia had met at homecoming. She stood upright and stared strangely at him. She couldn't figure him out. "How did you find me?" That was the only question she could ask.

"Oh, I have my ways." The dragon said. He neither smiled nor frowned, but only stared back at her.

She tried to figure him out, but he wasn't giving any hints. "Well…don't just stand there, ghost, tell me what you want."

"I want to tell you something but first I have to know that I can trust you."

"Very well then. You can trust me."

"It's not that easy. I know you let those two bird ghosts go but I can't imagine why. Could you perhaps tell me?"

"Well look who's a little nosy today. I've only met you once and you're already stalking me? That's a little odd don't you think?"

"Could you just answer my question?"

"I set them free because otherwise my father would have tortured them and converted them into electricity."

"It's a little late in the run to change the direction of your moral compass."

"Huh?"

"You're too late." The ghost raised an eyebrow.

"Too late for what?"

"Too late to make things change." He challenged her.

"No I'm not! I just saved their lives!"

"And what about Danny Phantom and me and all the other ghosts? Your father will capture a ghost sooner or later and he will use it."

"Are you asking me to hide you from him…or something?"

"No, no, no. You misunderstand. Helping others is not a one-time deal. Once you make a choice like this, you'll have to stick with it and face the consequences, whatever they may be. Personally, I think you're just going to run away like a scared little girl…"

"No! I won't run away! Never! I owe it to Danny Phantom and my other friends to do what needs to be done."

The dragon smiled. Now that he was convinced she was on the right side, he had a few things to tell her. "Follow me." He said kindly.

Cecelia, more puzzled than ever, followed the dragon to the very back of the giant lab where some old recycled papers were kept. "There's a blind spot in security cameras right here, so I'm going to tell you my secret—or better yet show you." the brown dragon shrunk down into a strange form, it began to get more recognizable.

"Garth?" Cecelia asked wide-eyed.

"I'll explain that later. But for now, I'm just grateful to know you're on the right side. And I know what you've been planning." Garth smiled at Cecelia mysteriously.

Cecelia got all shaky and nervous. "What? Whatever you're thinking, I'm sure you just misunderstood."

"No, I understand perfectly because I thought of the same thing. Only you're the only one with the means to do it. And we won't have to worry because I saw you turn your suit intangible, just like a ghost could do. Just like Danny Phantom would do if he came with you—because that's pretty much his only reason for coming. But he doesn't know you got the suit back. Personally I think your plan is much better."

Cecelia was quiet.

Garth hugged her as he would have hugged a sister if he had one. "No matter what happens, I'm glad to know you'll be doing the right thing." And with that, Garth went back to his shift and Cecelia flew home in her suit.

Thanksgiving break came very quickly. Some kids enjoyed the holiday. Others gorged themselves on fattening foods. Some slept it away. They slept and slept until their alarm clocks went off in their ears.

Is it Monday already?

Not a snowflake had fallen. This was the warmest winter ever. In fact, it was so warm that local teen superhero Danny Phantom _flew_ to school—he was invisible of course. And he flew into the boys' bathroom where he transformed and then walked out of the stall and blended right into the average bunch of shuffling students.

In Mr. Lancer's class, Danny sat in between Tucker and Sam.

"Where is Cecelia? I haven't seen her since that meeting you invited her to." Sam asked Danny with a whisper.

Danny shrugged. "Come to think of it, I haven't seen her either."

"I hope she's okay." Sam said.

"Ms. Manson, since you'd rather listen to your own voice than this lesson, I'll have no choice but to put you in the back—with the other geeks that you don't talk to." Mr. Lancer said plainly.

Sam growled and she took her books with her and moved to the back.

"Hey Sam! I'm Mikey! We sat together in biology for half a semester in the tenth grade!"

"Shut it Mikey." Sam said through her clenched teeth.

The door opened and a girl stepped inside. It was Valerie. She was carrying only a backpack and a notebook. "I'm sorry I'm late, Mr. Lancer." She said and she filled the vacant seat Sam had left.

"Ms. Gray, how many times are you going to say "I'm sorry" about being late to class before you actually fix the problem? Not only am I going to talk to your father about this, but I'm going to give you a detention!"

"No." Valerie said to herself. She winced.

"December third, after school, you, me, and whatever other little teens who get themselves in trouble from here on out will spend two hours after school polishing lockers."

Valerie was sad. "Do I have to serve it on the day of the party?"

"Yes you do, Valerie. In the future, might I suggest you _think_ about the consequences before you take action."

Valerie slumped in her chair. As much as her tempered nature would make her to argue with Lancer, Valerie knew he was right. She looked over at Danny who was smiling at her. She smiled back weakly. There was just something about that boy that allowed him to still remain happy regardless of the tragedy that was happening around him.

Valerie wished she had an attitude like his. Danny was always so much cooler than people at this school gave him credit for. Danny meant a lot to Valerie. Valerie wished that one day he would open up his eyes and want to see it.

After the school bell rang, Tucker approached Valerie. "Where is Cecelia?" He asked.

Valerie's smile disappeared. "I honestly don't know." And then she walked away coldly.

"Wait, Val!" Danny called to her. He followed her to their next class.

"What's Danny doing?" Sam asked Tucker.

Tucker sighed. "Just let them be."

"I've got a bad feeling about the day of the party."

"What do you mean?" Tucker inquired.

"I just don't think it'll end good, that's all. I'm afraid something bad will happen to Danny. And I'm also afraid about Danny and Cecelia going to destroy the Equator."

"Wait a minute Sam, they haven't even picked a date for that yet. For now, let's just enjoy the big Dash Bash we have ahead of us. I'm sure you'll enjoy it. You should ask Garth."

_That_ got Sam's mind out of worrying real quick. "Garth? Why? Do you think I like him?" She rattled off.

"_Do_ you like him?" Tucker smiled because he already knew the answer.

"Well, to tell you the truth, I'm not exactly sure."

Tucker laughed at the serious expression Sam had on her face. "You don't have to be _exactly_ sure. You just have to admit to me that you like him."

"That is something I will not do." Sam said. She and Tucker took seats and Sam still looked at Danny.

"You've gotta be kidding. Really, Sam?" Tucker read her mind. "I'd hate to be straight up with ya but somebody's gotta tell you. He and _Valerie_ are together now. That's one of the many reasons why you and _Garth_ belong together."

Sam shook her head.

Up at the front of the classroom, Danny and Valerie sat next to each other holding hands.

"I have a surprise for you that I'll show you at Dash's party." Danny told Valerie.

Valerie giggled she could only wait and see, but she secretly hoped it would be something cheesy and romantic.


	20. Chapter 18: Climax Rising

**Chapter 18: Climax Rising **

Cecelia faked a fever to her father and he let her stay home from school while he went to work. Of course she was not really sick, but she was laden with guilt for having lied to him. Cecelia didn't like to lie, and she wasn't very good at it either. Surprisingly enough, he believed her.

"Suck it up, Cecelia." She told herself. Everything she was about to do was absolutely necessary to her plan.

She ambled around the house gathering his blueprints and plans and other stuff as well as any diagrams, charts and records of anything he had created that would in any way be of harm to a ghost.

The computer files she put on a hard drive and the blueprints and other hand-written items she folded neatly away into one of her old purses. With her suit's intangibility, she reached into her father's safe and took out the blueprints to the Equator and anything else Equator-related.

Cecelia spent the entire day scanning the house top to bottom and collecting everything related to her father's work. She even went so far as to accumulate the small-scale mini models.

Cecelia was surprised at the mass the total quantity accounted for: two purse-fulls.

Then Cecelia flew—intangibly—to the Government Guys in White lab and put both purses in Garth's locker. Cecelia knew it would be the perfect hiding place because Garth was always skipping work.

Maybe now would be a good time to find out where Garth had always gone when he was supposed to be here. Cecelia flew to his house and turned tangible again. She rang the doorbell and he answered.

"Aren't you supposed to be at school?"

"Aren't you supposed to be at work?" She asked with a competitive smile. That was Cecelia for ya.

But Garth was not in the mood. He let her in the house but it didn't seem like he had much to say. Cecelia waited for him to talk, but he didn't.

"Why do you skip work so often?"

"It's because I have to train myself. On December 31st, I'm supposed to challenge the head dragon in Aragon's medieval realm. It's in the ghost zone. You don't wanna go there."

"Oh. Did you make that up?"

"No. You saw me as a dragon." Garth answered her. "So what did you _really_ come over here for?"

"I came to ask you that. I've always wondered. And by the way, if you do happen to go back to work and find two random purses there, they're mine. They're part of my plan. And you might want to remove any valuables from your locker before December third."

Garth knew exactly what Cecelia meant. "I'll drop by and do that." He said casually, as if all the mysteriousness was part of everyday living.

It was after dinner on December second. Dash Baxter was preparing his larger-than-average home for the big party tomorrow. He had great plans for it.

He had told all the guests he invited that, "There's no dress code, but try to look as cool as possible and remember you're coming to celebrate my birthday so you better give me a fantastic gift."

As Dash was playing football with his old man, the phone rang and Dash's mother called him inside. Dash picked up the phone. "Whoa, Danny Phantom? Cool! So I'll see ya at my party tomorrow? That's great!" Dash put the phone down. "Sa-weet! I'm gonna get to meet Danny Phantom! This is going to be the best party in the history of parties that I've thrown."

Dash took a shower and then he called his girlfriend Paulina. "Hey babe, I've got something special planned for the party tomorrow. You're a big fan of Danny Phantom, right?"

"Yes. Who isn't?"

"Well I got him to make a special appearance at my birthday party. I guess Danny knows who's cool around town, huh? Well anyways, I just wanted to let you know because Kwan told me you had a major crush on him."

"Wha? No! And besides, I'm dating you!"

"Whatever. Just look pretty tomorrow so I can make all the other people jealous."

"And you make sure you look hotter than usual so that all the other girls wish they were me!"

"I love you."

"I love you too."

And then Dash hung up the phone. "Aah, Paulina. She sure knows the quickest way to a man's heart."

This is what Garth does earlier in the day on December third.

Thanks to all the team meetings at Danny's house, Garth now had easy access to a ghost portal. It was only on a day like today that that access would come in handy. Today Garth would travel to the dragon realm in his dragon form and talk to Prince Aragon.

Garth changed into dragon form and he flew across town intangible and then he made it to the Fenton house. He went into the basement where the portal was just sitting there with its doors wide open. Garth flew through.

Garth hated being in the eerie green world of ghosts. There were all sorts of strange sounds coming from realms far and near. There were random doorways floating everywhere. And nothing marked the boundaries between realms, so property was always a big issue.

As Garth drifted onward towards the realm of the medieval dragons—he had been told by Danny as far as what to look for—Garth had to watch out for all the ghost traffic floating around in every which way. Garth did not like this place one bit.

Garth looked ahead and he saw a world fashioned from the Dark Ages. "That's gotta be it." he said.

Garth entered the realm and guards let him pass because he was a dragon. "Where is Aragon?" He asked the guards. They pointed to a small golf field where Aragon, in his normal form, was playing golf with his two ladies-in-waiting.

"Aragon I demand to speak with you." Garth made his voice sound all boomy-like.

Aragon just laughed. "Who are you supposed to be?"

"I am Garth Lloyd. And I want you to tell your citizens that on December 31st, I will challenge your successor, Prince Lyon, for the throne."

This made Aragon cackle all the more. And then Aragon transformed into a dragon ghost three times the size of Garth.

But Garth didn't back down. He didn't know where this boldness was coming from, but he liked it. He stared Aragon right in the eye and said, "I'm not afraid of you."

Aragon breathed fire on Garth and Garth fought back with some flames of his own. "You're so weak." Aragon said to Garth. "I'd almost rather take you up on that offer of yours just to watch you fail. And then the rest of my realm would have even more proof of Lyon's superiority." Aragon was so cocky that it made Garth want to beat him up all the more harder.

"I'll beat Lyon, you'll see! I'll crush him! And then you'll have no choice but to crown me the winner! But I assure you, I'll be a much better ruler than Lyon ever could!"

Aragon roared. "Ohhh, don't you say that about my nephew!" Aragon took a deep breath and a raging river of hot fire poured from his mouth and onto Garth.

Garth was lucky that dragon skin was nearly fireproof. Garth merely turned intangible and let the fire surpass him until Aragon had completely run out of breath. Then Garth wrapped his tail around Aragon's neck—sort of like a headlock—thus choking off his breathing so no more fire could come out.

And then for the final blow, Garth punched Aragon as hard as possible and Aragon was so shocked that he fell to the ground.

"Let me go" Aragon managed to say though Garth was still choking him.

"I want a real battle, and if I win, I'll be crowned the ruler of your realm." Garth bargained. Aragon still hesitated to answer. Garth squeezed Aragon's neck tighter.

"Okay, okay, if you win, I'll declare you the new Prince of the medieval realm." Aragon said.

Garth released his strong grasp on Aragon's neck and Aragon stood up tall again.

Garth decided to make his way out of here as quick as possible before Aragon changed his mind. Garth flew speedily through the ghost zone and back to his home.

Garth looked at his clock. "Oh shoot! It's almost time for the big party at Dash's place! I'd better get ready!"

The following account is what happened to everybody else on December third. Cecelia awoke on the cold morning of December third. Today was the day she had not been looking for. Cecelia meditated once again. Her mind was clear as crystal and she could concentrate now. She hoped she was on the right track to making things right. She got ready for school and then walked to it. She didn't talk to anybody all day. Valerie had pretty much been ignoring her.

Of course, Valerie wasn't actually mad at Cecelia. Was she? Cecelia didn't even want to think about losing her best friend on a day like today.

That's why at lunch, Cecelia half-smiled to see her friends Sam, Tucker, and Danny sit down with her at the once empty table. And then Valerie sat down next to Danny. Cecelia lost her smile and her appetite. Every time she looked at Valerie, she was reminded how she had betrayed her own father and her best friend Valerie. What would Valerie think if she knew the truth? Cecelia didn't want to deal with that right now, so she remained quiet.

School dragged on and on and people were grateful when the last bell finally came.

Dash rushed home to make sure everything was ready for the party. He took a shower and shaved. He looked very…Dashing.

Paulina put on a flattering red dress and some flashy makeup.

Danielle straightened her hair and put on a neon shirt.

Tucker actually took off his hat and put on some deodorant.

Sam went for the late-night gothic look and wore a different shade of lipstick. She actually wore some eye makeup as well as putting her hair up like she did once at a freshman dance.

Danny put on a black hoodie that had a special looking Danny Phantom emblem on it. (Which Sam had designed).

And Garth, well, he looked exactly the same.

Meanwhile, Valerie was stuck in detention and that meant she couldn't go to the party with Danny like she had planned. Valerie sat at a desk and face Mr. Lancer. He sat at his desk grading papers.

Valerie was the only student in the room. "How much time do I have left?" she asked bad-temperedly.

"You need to stop being so impatient. You have a half-hour. Mr. Baxter's house is ten minutes away from here so there's no reason you should complain to me about being late to the party."

Valerie groaned.

At the Baxter house, guests were arriving more rapidly than Dash had accounted for. But when Paulina arrived, he forgot all about the other people in the room. Together they danced, and they were the envy of every other couple out there. And then they kissed. The other people clapped.

Somewhere along the way, Danny and Danielle met up with Sam and Tucker who had been walking to the party. It was Danielle's idea for them all to fly. Danny took Sam and Danielle took Tucker and they got to the party much faster than they would have if they had been walking. Danielle stepped into the shadows and changed back into human form while Danny remained as a ghost.

"Do you want to dance, Danielle? You know, to blend in?" Tucker asked awkwardly.

"To blend in?" Danielle smiled slightly, blushing under her makeup.

"Yeah…we'll be just like everyone else!"

Danielle only laughed. She knew what he meant and what he was thinking even if he didn't say it. That's why she liked him: he wasn't that hard to figure out. And he could be so cute when he wasn't trying too hard.

Danielle and Tucker went onto the dance floor mat and danced away though neither of them knew what they were doing. Tucker was a better dancer than her, so he led.

That left Sam and Danny. "Gee, Danny, if Valerie knew your secret, you could have flown her here." Sam said.

Danny ignored her comment. He was watching out the window for Valerie to arrive. "Do you think it would be too strange if I flew over there and walked with her here?"

"Yes." Sam said.

"Well, I don't see Val yet but here comes Garth. You really like him, right?"

"Yeah, as a matter of fact I do. That doesn't bother you, does it?" Sam was hoping that Danny still had remains of feelings for her however small.

Danny shrugged his shoulders. "No." He said casually. He looked out the window again. "I'm happy that you're happy."

Sam was disappointed.

But here came Garth, standing tall and slightly more muscular than he was when Sam first met him. "Hi guys." He greeted Sam and Danny. "Danny, are you watching for Valerie?"

"Well, Valerie _is_ my date."

Garth looked at Sam. "I bet you're bored, huh?"

Sam nodded.

"Do you want to go, um, dance…or something?"

"Goths don't really dance." Sam said. "But I suppose I can make an acceptation in this case." She and Garth went onto the dance floor. She seemed to enjoy what they called "dancing" although it was more of a swaying back and forth very slightly.

Somebody tapped Danny on the shoulder. It was Dash. "Wow! Danny Phantom! You're really cool! Could you sign this football for me?" Dash handed Danny an expensive football and a sharpie marker. Danny signed it. "Gee thanks!"

"Is that the only reason you wanted me to come here?" Danny asked.

"Shh! Don't say anything about that because I told people you wanted to come here because I'm so cool. But thanks anyways, Danny Phantom. You rock!" That was all Dash had to say before he disappeared into the crowd again.

Danny looked over at the door and there was Valerie, all bundled up in winter gear because she was shivering.

Danny wanted to give her a big hug and then remembered he was still in ghost form. He went into a bathroom and came out as Danny Fenton. Then he ran over to Valerie and gave her a big warm hug to warm her up. Then she gave him a kiss.

"Hey." She said to him.

"Hey." He said to her. They held hands. And then he remembered the surprise he wanted to show her. "Come with me." He pulled her along.

Valerie giggled like a little child would have laughed on Christmas morning. "Where are you taking me?" She asked pleasantly.

"I know you were just outside," Danny led her through the open front door and they walked out. Danny didn't see anyone else around. He took Valerie's hands in his once again, "I wanted to show you something that's very important to me."

"What is it?"

"What you're about to see you cannot forget, you cannot change, and you cannot deny. It doesn't seem possible, but it's real, and has been for three years. I won't belittle it and say that it won't change our relationship because it will. And you might never look at me the same again, but, here it goes." Blue rings appeared around Danny's waistline and they changed him into the infamous hero that all people recognized. "I'm Danny Fenton, but I'm also Danny _Phantom_."


	21. Chapter 19: The Real Change

**Chapter 19: The Real Change**

Valerie didn't know what to do or say. She rubbed her eyes, but the image still remained clear and precise. It was Danny Phantom standing there and she couldn't deny that, just like he had told her. "Y-you-you're just like Vlad Masters!" She exclaimed.

"No, I'm not—I'm not evil." Danny stammered. He paused to regain his confidence. Going over this in his head was much easier than actually revealing the secret. His heart was vibrating in his chest, and his forehead grew white hot with the pressure. The pressure of possibly losing his girlfriend over a big secret like this one. "I think that all this time you've just been misunderstanding me. I'd be happy to answer any questions you have—if you happen to have them."

"I wouldn't know what to ask." She gulped. She started backing away from him slowly. "Are you really my boyfriend?"

"Yes, I'm still Danny Fenton, see?" He transformed back into Danny Fenton. "I'm still the same guy."

"What kind of a creature are you?"

"I'm half-ghost and half-human." He replied. "It took a lot of guts for me to show you this. I really trust you, Val, and I want to stay with you for a long, long time." The boy said sincerely, not realizing that tears were forming in the corners of his eyelids.

Valerie avoided making contact with his eyes. "What about all those times that I tried to hunt you down? You can't just forget about that! You're telling me you're not mad? I would never have hurt you if I knew who you were…" a tear started to form in Valerie's eyes as she remembered all the threats she had made to Danny Phantom and all the times she'd attacked him and punched him and hit him with ectoblasts.

Danny gave her a few moments to gather herself. But he smiled down on her because he _really did_ forgive her. Maybe that's why fate granted him these powers: because there was just something special about him that allowed him to handle things like this without having a total breakdown like Valerie. "I forgive you." He told her.

Valerie began to sob heavily with the realization at everything she'd done.

"I know that you meant well, Valerie, which is why I told you my secret. Now, I was hoping we could fight the bad guys as a team. I really care about you and I don't want us fighting anymore."

Valerie looked at him as if he were a stranger to him. She started to walk away. For a moment he just stood there watching her carve her path through the cold December wind. Danny wanted to chase after her, but his feet froze suddenly and he couldn't seem to move them. He looked down at them and they were just fine. The only thing between him and her was a name: Danny Phantom.

"Valerie, don't go!" He said rashly but softly. He didn't think she heard him. And she didn't turn back around either.

Suddenly, he could move his feet now that she was further away. He chased after her and wrapped his arms around her hoping she would not resist. She didn't. "Close your eyes and listen to my voice. I'm still the same Danny—the boy you liked in freshman year. I'm still the same Danny you got up the courage to talk to just a short pair of months ago. And I'm still the same Danny who loves you no matter what happened in the past. We can't change what has happened, but we can accept it and move on." Danny closed his eyes.

"I'm not sure I'm ready to accept that yet, Danny." Valerie said slowly. "I won't ever hunt you again, I promise. But I don't think I'd want to _date_ you again either." She opened her eyes and turned around to face him. He opened his eyes too. "We can still be friends and all but, you being a ghost is a lot to take in. And right now my thoughts about ghosts are not happy ones."

"I can change that!" Danny pleaded.

She motioned for him to stop. "I'm going back to the party."

"Did you just break up with me?"

Clueless, clueless Danny, Valerie thought. "I think so." She said. "Please try to understand."

Danny nodded. "I will. And I do."

"Maybe someday we'll be able to give this another chance. I just need time, lots and lots of time. But right now, I think I'm going to go talk to Cecelia." Valerie walked into Dash's house with Danny following close behind.

Danny walked over to where Sam, Danielle, Tucker and Garth were all seated. "Hi everyone." He said sadly.

"What happened, Danny?" Sam asked him.

"I told Valerie my secret, and now I feel like my heart just got ripped out." Danny confessed. Danielle gave her brother a hug for comfort. "Thanks, Danielle."

The group of friends stopped making small talk and none of them said anything but they all secretly wished they knew what Valerie had said to him.

"She broke up with me." Danny said with a defeated tone of voice. It was as if he read their mind.

Danny's friends knew that no matter how hard they tried to get his mind off the fact, they still couldn't keep him from feeling sorry for himself.

"Danny, it's not the end of the world." Sam said gently.

"Yeah, and we'll always be here for you." Danielle said comfortingly. "I know it's not the same, but it's what we have to offer. And I'll say that things can only get better from here."

"Danielle's right." Tucker agreed. "What you need, my friend, is to get fresh with some new ladies." Tucker said like the hormonal guy that he was.

"I think I'm going to pass on that one." Danny said.

"Are you mad?" Garth asked.

"No, just sad." Danny confessed. He lay down on the couch and buried his face in a pillow.

"Aw, I've never seen him this upset." Sam said.

"Hey, everyone, are you enjoying this party or what?" Paulina came over to the five of them, completely unaware of the situation.

"Or what." Replied Danielle, Sam, Garth and Tucker.

Paulina looked confused.

Danielle attempted to explain. "Well you asked us if we were having fun at the party, and we're not, so—"

"Give it a rest, Danielle, she's not going to get it." Sam whispered.

"What happened to Danny?" Paulina sounded almost sincere. "Not that I care. And I'm only making small talk so that I'll get you to pay attention to me long enough for me to ask you where Cecelia is because that's the only reason I came over here."

"We don't know." Tucker said.

And like that, Paulina walked away.

"Go enjoy the party guys. I don't want to be a let-down on your mood." Danny said. His voice was muffled by the pillow.

Danielle knew that was the only thing they could do right now. They needed to give him some space. Garth and Tucker got the hint and pretended to be having fun at the party. Danielle had to practically pull Sam away from Danny. Eventually Sam gave in. "Sam, the _last_ thing Danny needs right now is a rebound." Danielle shot a harsh glance towards Sam.

Sam was a bit annoyed that Danielle would say that to her face, but Sam knew it was true and yes she did want to get back together with Danny.

It was only a little while later before Valerie came up to Sam, "Have you seen Cecelia, I've been looking all over for her."

Sam frowned. "Have you seen _Danny_? He's all curled up on the couch because of something _you_ told him!" Sam's voice escaladed.

"Whoa, Sam, let's not start a fight here." Garth held the goth girl back from Valerie and tried to calm Sam down.

Valerie shirked that off as if she didn't hear it. And then she went over to Tucker to ask him where Cecelia was. But before she could open her mouth, Tucker put his hand over her face to stop her from asking. "Save it, Valerie. You hurt my best friend and I don't wanna have anything more to do with you!" and then Tucker walked away.

"I didn't mean to hurt him!" Valerie argued her case. "It's just a lot to take in. I told him I needed time. Surely you must understand that my feelings for him couldn't just disappear…" Valerie's voice got softer as Tucker walked away. She wondered if he had heard her at all.

Valerie saw Danielle standing by the punch bowl and drinking a cup. And then Valerie remembered that Danielle was half-ghost too. That was back when these kind of things didn't freak her out so much. Valerie had accepted Danielle's secret, so why was it so hard to accept Danny's? Valerie kept a safe distance away from Danielle.

Valerie sighed. She went over to Garth. "Where is Cecelia?"

Garth looked at her but didn't give an answer. His eyes revealed that he knew something, and he couldn't hide that.

Valerie put her hands on her hips. "Garth?" she asked him. "Is Cecelia here at the party or is she someplace else?"

Garth sighed. He really didn't want to tell Valerie. "No, she's not at the party." He said reluctantly.

"Then where is she?" Valerie asked with a little more urgency this time.

"She's probably in her father's lab destroying the Equator right now."

Valerie gasped. She began to panic fearfully. "Well, we need to stop her! She'll ruin all of her father's plans!" Valerie tugged on Garth to come with her but he would not budge.

"That's the basic idea. But it's not that simple either, Valerie. Dr. Hazel isn't doing his work for the right reasons. He only created the Equator so that he could get revenge on ghosts for killing his wife. He really doesn't care about ridding this town of bad ghosts—that's Danny Phantom's job."

Valerie still tried to pull Garth along with her. "How can you say that? You've worked with Dr. Hazel ever since he got here!"

Garth still stood firm. "There's a lot you don't understand about the way things work. Danny's been trying to give you a chance to understand it but once he finally finds the right moment, you reject him. I didn't need to be there to know just exactly the "big surprise" Danny revealed to you." Garth looked at Valerie's wild eyes and he knew he had to help her. "But if you really want to see Cecelia, I know a quicker way to get there." Garth rounded up Danielle, Sam and Tucker and then the five of them all walked over to Danny, where Garth explained the situation.

Poor Danny was more upset than ever before in his entire life. "Why ever did she do that?" Danny asked.

"Cecelia never actually told me the entire thing, but I got enough hints." Garth admitted.

"We need to find her and stop her." Tucker said.

"No!" Garth protested. "Her plan is sheer genius. There's not a soul in the Government Guys in White laboratory and that's exactly what she wanted. The whole place is going to go kablooey, but she'll be using the intangibility effect on her suit so that she won't get blown away."

"Let's fly. I want to have a word with her." Danny said. He and his friends left the party and walked on foot until they were too far away to be seen.

Danny and Danielle transformed into their ghost halves and Valerie pressed a button and her suit appeared. Then she clicked her two heels and the hover board appeared beneath her feet. Garth looked at Danny awaiting approval to change into dragon form.

"I think Valerie's learned enough secrets for one night." Danny whispered to Garth.

So Garth rode with Valerie on her board. Danny picked up Tucker and Danielle picked up Sam and off they flew into the night sky and onward to the Government lab.

Not far was the Government Guys in white lab, where Cecelia had come straight after school. She was glad that this morning the vulture ghosts arrived at her house to guard her sleeping dad.

Cecelia was wearing her yellow suit as she entered all the passwords and other characters required to initiate the self-breakdown of the Equator.

She then entered the password to her father's lab. She smiled at her own success when the door opened. However, she did not look down and she tripped over something small and with a "thud" she landed on the floor. She was lucky to have the reflex that allowed her to put her arm down to break her fall.

As Cecelia stood up, she realized that the whole lab was messy. Oh well, she thought, it was all going down anyways.

This lab was wrong. Cecelia always knew there was something off about her father and in these last few minutes before she initiated the self-destruct on the Equator, she reminded herself of why she was doing this: to save all ghosts.

The ghosts would never even realize what she was doing. By destroying all of her father's research she would be dissolving the possibility of the Guys in White creating and distributing technology that could seriously hurt bad and good ghosts alike. Cecelia couldn't let that happen. She _wouldn't_ let that happen. She knew that her father had a habit of going too far before he learned his lesson.

Cecelia entered the code.

"DR. HAZEL YOU HAVE INITIATED THE SEL-BREAKDOWN SEQUENCE. YOU HAVE TWENTY SECONDS TO CLEAR THE BUILDING." An automated sequence sounded.


	22. Chapter 20: Helpful Information

**Just a note-the story's only half over. So if anything tragic happens here, it's bound to be fixed…**

**Chapter 20: Helpful Information**

Cecelia pressed the button on her suit, but nothing happened. Then she looked down and saw that was the part of her body she had landed on when she tripped. Cecelia was very afraid once the truth hit her. She tried clicking her feet together, but her surfboard didn't appear either. Why wasn't it working?

Cecelia began to panic. There was no way she could make it out in time but she had to try. She jumped down the stairs because they were faster than the elevator. (With Cecelia's ninja-like physical skills, she could get anywhere on foot faster than most people could).

Cecelia looked ahead. The door was still so far away. She heard a cackling, booming sound. Cecelia dare not look back to what it was. She already knew that it was fate catching up to her. It left her lying unconscious on the ground surrounded by the remains of the Government Guys in White lab.

By the time Danny, Valerie, Garth, Sam, Tucker and Danielle all got to the lab, it had already blown down. There were scattered little fires. Almost all walls had been taken down. Little remained. It was all black ash.

The group just looked at the place for a moment and didn't know how to react. It was Garth who found Cecelia. He felt her pulse and the results were not good. The rest of the group surrounded him as he held Cecelia in his arms like the sister she was to him.

Everybody began to cry, especially Valerie and Danny.

"She's my best friend." Valerie said softly.

"She inspired me." Sam said.

"She laughed with me." Tucker said.

"I really didn't know her too well, but I wish I had." Danielle said.

"She's the closest to family that I had." Garth said.

"I really cared about her. She really could have made a difference in the world. She already made a difference in _our_ worlds." Danny said.

"Did this all really happen or is it one bad dream?" Valerie asked.

"Tucker, I told you something bad was going to happen." Sam said.

"This definitely falls under that category." Tucker admitted.

"What should we do with her?" Danielle asked.

"Her father will freak out. It'll be better if I bring her to him. Alone. He knows me better than he knows the rest of you." Garth said. "You should all go home and then I'll call each of you and tell you what happened." Garth's voice was breaking.

"I'm coming with you." Valerie decided sternly.

"Me too." Sam said.

"Yeah, I will too." Tucker agreed.

"Then I'm coming too." Danielle decided.

"I'll meet you there." Danny said sadly. He remembered something that happened in his not-to-distant past. "I'll be back." He told his friends and then he flew off at top speed.

Danny knew exactly where he was going. He had to get some answers.

Danny went straight to his parents' house and did not stop anywhere along the way. He was trebling with the thought of his friend being dead. He didn't even want to think of what would happen with her family or the funeral or what would happen at school. But his mind wandered there anyways. And it hurt.

_It should have been him_. Yes, he thought that for a brief moment. But then he remembered that he couldn't change what had just happened.

Danny flew through his parents' portal and he went immediately to Clockwork's realm. The large clock tower that served as Clockwork's home was seemingly empty and desolate. Danny always got the creeps from this place, especially when Clockwork wasn't around. "Clockwork? Where are you?" Danny called him. Danny's voice echoed throughout the large open building. Danny looked up the tower, but Clockwork was not there. "I need to talk to you right now! It's an emergency!"

"I'm right here. Calm down, ghost child." Clockwork appeared holding his Staff of Time.

Danny hadn't seen Clockwork since August when he had requested that the world forget his secret. But as always, Clockwork looked the same. "My friend Cecelia is dead. And she's only dead because of me! I've been wondering what would have happened to her if I hadn't made that request that you make everyone forget my secret."

"Well, she and her father stayed in Antarctica and you and Valerie would have never met her. While the rest of the world began to accept ghosts and half-ghosts in the society, Dr. Hazel still hated them and wanted to extract his revenge on them. He ended up going completely insane and had to be taken to a specialist on a different continent. Cecelia remained in Antarctica. And she was miserable down there on that thin little ice sheet that she called home. She hated it, but she could never bring herself to go to one of the other countries."

"But at least she was alive."

"If you could call that living. Anyways, what did you come here to ask me for?"

"I wanted to take back my wish."

"You can't do that." Clockwork sighed. "I hate to say this, but I warned you not to change things because I knew what was going to happen."

"What is this? Some kind of sick lesson you've been trying to teach me about altering the time stream?"

"No, no, no, Danny. Being the Master of Time, I knew full well what would happen in that reality you wished for and I knew your life would get worse before it gets better. I didn't think you'd be able to handle it. But you were so cheerful and you seemed to like having your secret back. That's the way it was always meant to be, anyways. Things that are meant to be will work themselves out no matter what time stream they're in."

"What about Cecelia? Please tell me you can save her!" Danny pleaded.

"Me? I don't have that kind of power. I couldn't bring a human or a ghost back from the infinite dead. See, ghosts aren't actually dead-dead, we're more of a species, but your friend really is completely dead."

"I know that! So what will become of all this? This is the worst day of my life! What do I do? I told Valerie my secret and she broke up with me. And then Cecelia died. Please unwind all of this and put us all back in the alternate reality time stream, or whatever you call it!"

"I'm sorry, Danny, but I couldn't do that if I wanted to. Once you made that wish, you permanently severed yourself from that time stream. And just as this time stream has developed on its own, so has that one." Clockwork showed Danny one of the many circular portals in the lair.

There appeared another time stream in the circle. It was like a viewing screen.

"And what happened in this reality?"

"Well, it wasn't very pleasant, but you weren't in any danger either. You got so bored with your life that you split yourself in half again so your ghost side could fight what little bad guys there were and your human half could have some fun."

"What happened to Garth, Sam, Tucker, and Danielle?"

"Well, you never met Garth. And Sam and your human side are still together, though you really don't get along too well. Tucker moved away because his dad got a promotion on the mayor job. And your ghost half is dating Paulina. Danielle, well, she kinda went back to Vlad."

"Vlad!" Danny exclaimed.

"Yes. She didn't believe you were doing a good enough job protecting the town and she went to fight him by herself. He ended up overshadowing her so he could walk among the humans again."

"That's right, Danielle never told the world her secret!"

"Still want to go back to this reality, Danny?"

"It's tempting…" Danny stared at the circular view screen. "Why do you keep it here anyways if it's not the real reality?"

"It's just as real as this reality. Some day in the future these two realities will merge back together and become the same again. Time will unfold in such ways as both realities continue that one day their events will be exactly the same. This one just branched off from it because you made that wish. Remember that portal you flew through to Amity Park just after I granted your request? That was the portal to the alternate reality I created for you. But now it's your home."

"I just want the pain to go away. I've learned my lesson about meddling with time, so can we please just end this nightmare?"

Clockwork looked at Danny with a serious face. "Danny, I know you don't understand this yet because you're only just beginning to get involved in the ghost world. So try to understand this. I'm the Master of Time. I know that I've told you this before. I know all the twists and turns that time will take along the way to get to its resolution. It's part of my job, which by the way, I've ad for hundreds of years before you were even born. And no, I'm not trying to teach you a lesson in the way you're thinking. In fact, you actually taught _me_ a lesson. You proved to me that you're stronger than I thought you were. You were made to handle situations like today because you're going to grow up to be a great hero."

Danny had tears in his eyes. "But Cecelia died."

"I know she did, but it was all necessary in the great plan of time. Her death did not happen to be forgotten. Believe it or not, her death was meant to show you that anything is possible, because you _will_ see her again."

Danny looked up at Clockwork. "How?"

"Hush. I'm not supposed to tell you any of that. But you must not give up hope. And you can't tell anyone. Remember what I said about things that were meant to be?"

"They have a way of working themselves out."

"Precisely. It's just like that one day long ago when your mother and father first got together."

Danny smiled slightly.

"So don't lose your hope, boy, because your life will get better. It's about to take a long ride of ups and downs. And I know that you always loved adventure."

"I do."

"That's why you didn't belong in the other time stream either. Back there, there were no ghosts to fight and your life became infinitely…boring."

"I think I sort of get it now."

"Good. Then you understand that your path of life has many tests and trials ahead?"

Danny nodded.

"Are you going to do something about it or are you just going to sit around and mope?"

"I'm going to fight the bad guys. And I'm going to win!"

"That's the spirit! And just a warning before you go: don't let yourself get depressed because there's no getting out of it. I'm helping you because I know you can conquer it. you were always stronger and braver than your family or the people at your school allowed you to be. And don't give up, either. I know it takes a lot to really bring you down, so try to always remember the bright side of things. There always is one."

"What's the bright side of Cecelia's death?"

"She'll inspire a hope in you to believe that anything is possible. I'm pretty sure I already said something like that."

"And what about me and Valerie breaking up?"

"Oh, I wouldn't say you're completely over just yet. You might want to wait awhile and then give it another try. Give her a gift at Christmas. Give her what she really wants."

"You think that'll work?"

"Yes, I'm sure you'll make her very happy."

Danny turned to go back because he still had to meet up with his friends to tell Dr. Hazel the bad news.

"And Danny?"

"Yes?"

"What have you learned in all of this that I have told you?"

Danny raised his eyebrows not sure of what to say. "A lot of things. And I won't forget everything that just happened. I'll turn it around so it happens for the better. And I'll keep it in mind that anything is possible." Danny waved goodbye to Clockwork and then flew out of the ghost zone and over to the Hazel home.

The very next day, Danny and all of his friends attended the funeral for Cecelia. There was a lot of sadness surrounding the place. It was as if a dark cloud loomed overhead of the town ever since the moment Cecelia died.

Cecelia was to be buried in Greenier Cemetery, Dr. Hazel announced.

Danny could tell that Dr. Hazel was terribly burdened by his daughter's death and it had hurt him in more ways than he could relate. He had decided to quit his job for Government Guys in White. He'd be taking the money that they gave him—as well as the money they had already given him at the beginning—and he'd be putting it in the bank to earn interest until he could find a steady job. As of now, he just wreaked of alcohol and booze.

This situation was not something that the students at Casper High would take lightly. Eventually, the entire story leaked out. Everybody knew that Cecelia destroyed the building because she believed it was evil.

Cecelia was regarded as a hero by the entirety of the Casper High student body. Some people even went so far as to say Cecelia had met Danny Phantom himself, though they did not know whether or not it was true.

Throughout all of this, Tucker and Sam stood by Danny's side at school, at home, and wherever he needed them. Danielle was there for Danny at home too. Garth would see them whenever he came to the Fenton house for a team meeting. He'd also see them when they made plans to hang out at the Nasty Burger.

Every day that Danny saw Valerie in the hall, he was reminded of her reaction to his secret. But at the very least, she had kept it and she hadn't abused the knowledge.

Every time that _she_ saw _him_, she thought to herself whether or not she made the right choice. More than anything, she felt so lonely now and wanted to be with him. In her sadder times, she wondered if he'd even get back with Sam. Valerie used to dislike Sam greatly, but only because she'd never given her a chance. Cecelia made Valerie realize that. Valerie wanted to make it right. There was this one day at school in French class that Valerie came and sat down next to Sam and they had a little talk.

Valerie was surprised at how positive she could be when making a humble apology. And Sam confessed her jealousy and apologized as well. Valerie hadn't accounted for that, but it was a pleasant surprise nevertheless.

Danny was coping with the loss of his friend better than he expected. He hadn't gotten depressed. He and Tucker still had their fun and they still were best friends. Whenever Danielle noticed that Danny or Tucker were feeling down, she suggested video games to get their mind off it.

One day, Danny and Valerie were late to school had no choice but to take the two empty seats at the back of the classroom. At first, they ignored each other, but then Danny looked at her and she looked back. She really looked hard at him and she could tell that he missed her and wanted to be with her again. But neither of them said it.

To fill up the awkwardness, Danny asked her for permission to guard Axiom labs. Valerie and Danny walked there together and they told Valerie's father the secret. Damon knew that Danny had always wanted to become an astronaut, and that it would be very expensive to get into the field. Damon offered Danny the job. And he decided to pay him.

Danny humbly explained that he wasn't asking for pay, especially since he knew their money situation. But Damon insisted and his excuse was that "If you keep the place free from robberies and other miscellaneous ghost attacks, I won't be spending money on repair, so I'll be able to give it to you."

Danny smiled gratefully and he and Mr. Gray shook hands. The deal was set. Afterwards, Danny almost wanted to quit his job at Nasty Burger, but then again he would like the extra pay.


	23. Chapter 21: Cirth

**Chapter 21: Cirth**

The next day, Danny, Sam, and Tucker chatted over the computer and they kept asking Sam questions about France.

The boys could see that Sam really didn't want to go, but her parents were making her and it's not like she had any other choice. They were always so pushy. They wanted her to come out of France like the sweet little debutant daughter they had always wanted. But Sam made it very clear to her friends Danny and Tucker that she was not going to let that happen. She was not even considering it.

As time dragged on, Tucker bugged her about it. And Danny wanted to know what France was like. "It's all for show." Sam told them. Being a goth, she despised the cheerful and hopeful atmosphere that France created in everybody else's minds. "And Jackie sent me a letter yesterday. I suppose you'll want to read it…"

The three of them were at Sam's house when she showed it to them.

"_Salut Sam! C'est votre cousin de France Jackie! Comment est l'Amérique? Je ne peux pas attendre pour vous de venir et de passer cinq mois avec moi! Vous allez aimer l'école et nous allons avoir un grand temps! Vous êtes mère et son père ont été à me raconter toutes sortes de choses que vous aimez faire. Et je l'ai habillé votre chambre en conséquence. Ça va être une belle surprise et vous allez l'aimer. Je vais vous voir bientôt!__ "_

"I don't understand a word of it!" Tucker exclaimed.

"It's in French, Tuck." Danny said.

"Give it here. I'll give you a rough translation. But before I read this, let me warn you that my cousin Jackie is 58 inches of pure evil.

"_Hi Sam! It's your cousin Jackie from France! How is America? I can't wait for you to come over and spend five months with me! You're going to love the school and we're going to have a great time! You're mother and father have been telling me all sorts of things you like to do. And I've dressed your room accordingly. It's going to be a wonderful surprise and you're going to love it. I'll see you soon!" _

"Sounds like you're going to have a nice time." Danny said.

"Send us a postcard!" Tucker joked.

"There's gotta be some way to get out of it." Sam said.

"Calm down, Sam. Christmas is in a few weeks." Tucker reminded her.

"Yeah, Christmas." Danny said regretfully. In his whole life, he had only gotten two Christmases where the outcome was somewhat pleasant. Danny shuddered as he recalled in the past Christmases when his parents would argue about Santa.

Luckily, that had all been resolved last year when Danny's parents finally agreed that there was no such thing as Santa clause because it was completely impossible for one person to travel around the globe granting people's Christmas wishes.

For the next few days, Danny was glum. He'd always found some excuse to be upset around Christmas time. Danny was sorta the class Grinch and everyone knew it.

Danny wished that this Christmas was like last year—sophomore year. Danny had spent the holidays with Tucker and his family and they went snowboarding and had lots of fun. Danny put his head down and was daydreaming all throughout class until he finally fell asleep.

"Mr. Fenton, will you please," Mr. Lancer approached Danny's desk and hit the desk with a book, sending a sudden and thunderous crackle of sound through Danny's ear, "WAKE UP!"

Danny's head shot back up and every kid in the class stared at him. Danny didn't know what to do, so he pretended like nothing happened.

After school, Danny stood outside and he looked at his entire world covered in snow. While the other teenagers had snowball fights, Danny had ghost fights. He thought of that as he flew home. For his sake and for his friends' sake, he should at least make an effort to enjoy Christmas this year. He owed them that much.

"I am the box ghost! Fear me!" The box ghost appeared out of nowhere.

Danny sighed and easily scared away the box ghost without having to use up any real energy. Danny walked the rest of the way home in his human form.

"Hey, son!" Jack greeted Danny.

"Welcome home!" Maddie said to Danny.

"Danny, we're going to decorate the tree now. Want to come?" Danielle asked.

Danny looked at their smiling faces. Originally, Danny was going to go take a nap upstairs. "Oh, allright." Danny said happily.

The family had a few laughs and even took a few photos. And then they had some cookies that Maddie baked earlier in the day. The four of them sat around the table as a family. Danny had a smile on his face and he realized that it was foolish and selfish of him to want to change his reality. Although what's done is done, Danny had learned his lesson and would not make a wish like that again. Danny liked his life just the way it was, and he wouldn't have it any other way.

_Outside, a pair of red eyes were spying on Danny. It was a great man and he was middle-aged. He smiled evilly. "Thank goodness for today! It's the worst day in young Danny Fenton's life and I've finally figured out how to crush his spirit once and for all. Once my plan succeeds, he'll never know Christmas as a happy time again!" And then he cackled evilly. _

"_Vlad, be quiet. We can't risk the Fentons seeing that we've been spying on them!"_

"_Cirth, I told you never to call me Vlad! You will call me "father." Vlad said scolding._

_Cirth made a grunt of agreement. "When do I get to scare Danny Phantom?" Cirth asked._

"_I don't know. But I think that the simple reaction of seeing his identical clone would freak him out more than you can imagine."_

_Cirth chuckled evilly._

"_Ah, it's moments like these when I'm actually thankful for the time I spent in my secret lair. It gave me time to make you—my perfect clone. You see that girl over there? She's a clone just like you. Only she's an imperfection—a mistake. After you and I are done destroying Danny Phantom, we're going to capture her and melt her down to ectoplasmic goo and study the remains."_

_Vlad and Cirth laughed evilly as they flew back to Vlad's secret underground lab (whose whereabouts are unknown). _

_Some people in the streets could swear they heard the soft muffling laughter of the evil halfa and his little Danny Phantom clone. Poor innocent people. They didn't even know what kind of monstrous creature was making that sound…it was a creature with the capability to destroy Christmas forever._

Somewhere deep in a green ghostly world a young boy about twelve stood with glaring eyes in front of a grand ghost woman. The boy's arms were crossed and he eyed the woman suspiciously. She was tall her long white hair waved around like frosting. Her silver cheeks sparkled and her green eyes glowed. She was rather young, too, but had a gentle spirit.

"Well?" the boy asked the woman impatiently.

"I think you have something of mine." She replied kindly.

"As soon as I get the Staff of Time, Christmas will be no more." The boy said proudly.

"Cirth, do you really want to destroy Christmas for good?"

"It's what my father told me to do." He said angrily.

"You don't have to listen to him. Think about everyone else in the world for a change. Look around you: the treaty does only good for man and ghost alike, as well as all of the other species out there. It's the one day of the year that people put aside their enmity and be merry. Without it, there would be chaos in quantities unimaginable."

"Without it, my father would have the home field advantage. Nobody expects anyone to declare war on Christmas day."

"War, Cirth?"

"My father wants to declare war on the entire Ghost Zone. He _knows_ he can defeat its leaders."

The woman sighed. "I'm a peaceful ghost, which means I couldn't stop you if I wanted to. But allow me to warn you that _somebody_ _will_."

"Who? The twelve ghosts of Christmas? They can't stop me! Or my father!"

"You'll see. There are those who walk and fly among us who chose to not be as…boastful with our powers. I prefer to think of them as...humble. And they know how to celebrate Christmas—and keep it."

"Can I go now?" Cirth asked impatiently. The ghost woman nodded and Cirth left the Christmas realm.

It was winter time in Amity Park, Colorado. The air was bitterly cold, but there were snowflakes all over the windswept streets. Carols arose from every house whether they were sung or being played on the radio.

"Fa la la la la, la la la la!" Tucker sang out of tune as he and his friends Danny, Sam and Garth enjoyed a festive day at the mall.

"Merry Christmas!" Sam said to people she passed. "Have a kickin' kwanza!"

Danny couldn't help but feel down but he didn't want to ruin things for his friends. Even _Garth_ let a few "Happy holidays" slip from his mouth today.

"Oh cheer up Danny." Tucker said. "Even if you don't feel all Christmassy yet, you will once your family comes to your home."

"They do that every year and it only makes me feel worse." Danny confessed. "I'm only looking forward to seeing one person: Jazz."

"I miss Jazz." Sam said. "How has she been?"

"Oh you know Jazz—all smart and studious. I'll bet she's valedictorian or something."

Just then Dash and Star crossed paths with Danny, Sam, Tucker and Garth.

Sam just gave them an irritated look when they wouldn't move out of her way. "What, aren't you going to wish me a happy New Year or something, goth girl?" Dash asked.

Sam growled in a low tone.

"Remember Dash, you're supposed to be nicer to the losers around the holidays." Star said in a cheerful voice. Sam frowned.

"Merry Christmas, Sam!" Star gave Sam a squeezing hug.

"Uh! Crushing. Goth. Indifference." Sam hated being hugged.

Dash and Star waved them goodbye.

They walked on past a few more stores and then Tucker froze in his footsteps and Danny tried to learn why.

"I've got it!" Tucker announced. "Danny, I know how to make your Christmas hilarious." Tucker pointed at the sign in front of a makeup store. It said "Testers Wanted."

"I'm definitely not going to do that." Danny said.

"No, not you!" Tucker turned to Sam. "But I know who is."

Danny and Garth began to laugh.

"What? No. No! No way! Never! Uhuh!" Sam protested.

"Do you want Danny to be cranky forever? I don't think so. He could use a few laughs to get him in the holiday spirit." Tucker took Sam by the arm and practically pulled her into the makeup store.

They approached the counter and Paulina was there. "Can I help you?" she asked the four friends.

"You _would_ work here." Sam frowned.

"We'd actually like to give you a makeup tester." Tucker said.

"Where?" Paulina looked around.

Sam growled.

"She's right here." Danny helped Tucker push Sam over to the makeup testing chair.

Paulina laughed loudly. "Oh you were serious?" She realized that this was not a joke.

Tucker, Danny and Garth watched Paulina first wash away all of Sam's gothic makeup. Garth hadn't ever seen her without makeup on before.

Next, Paulina applied several different shades of blush and some brown eyeliner and yellow eye shadow. And the finishing touch was blue lipstick. Then she smiled proudly and handed Sam a handle mirror. Sam was mad. One of her cheeks was brownish-yellow and the other was rosy red.

"It's all that old makeup in the back of the store that we never use, so we didn't know what it looks like. But now thanks to our tester," Paulina took several pictures of Sam's face with a camera. "We do."

Danny, Tucker and Garth cackled with amusement. Sam looked like an angry clown! This might have been the first time Danny really had a laugh all season.

"Thanks man, I needed a pick-me-up." Danny gave Tucker a bro-hug.

Sam got up and demanded that Paulina clean the makeup off.

"Sorry. I'm not obliged to do that." Paulina said in an uppity tone. "But have a Merry Christmas." She waved them out of the makeup store.

Sam was very miffed. She made the boys wait while she took her time in the bathroom and washed off most of the makeup. Only a slight shadow remained on her face.

Garth laughed every time he looked at her, and he was sure passersby laughed too.

"Ugh, let's just get home, okay." Sam tried to hide her face by subtly hanging it down and putting her hand over part of it. "I'm glad you're feeling better, Danny, but I really hate this."

Tucker and Danny laughed again. "We know." They said in unison.

Later in the day as Sam walked home, she ran into a thin blonde boy with piercing brown eyes. She was rounding the corner to get to the street with her home on it when she ran into him and his backpack spilled its contents all over the sidewalk.

"I'm sorry about that." Sam said. She still looked away from him because she was wearing that makeup on her face.

"Oh it's fine." The blond boy said humorlessly. "Nice makeup." He said when he got a good look at her face.

He started to walk away but then Sam asked him, "Don't you go to my school?"

He turned around and hesitated, surprised that she would ask such a question to a stranger. "What school?"

"Casper High."

"Yeah, yeah, I go there. I'm a junior."

"Me too."

"I'm Wenn."

"Sam."

Wenn turned around and walked away with just that—an attitude as cold as the breeze around him.

As Sam walked home, she couldn't stop thinking about him. There was just something very peculiar about his attitude and the way that she looked at him. She just couldn't put her finger on it and it drove her crazy. But by then she was home.

"Hi Sam." It was her grandmother who opened the door.

"Oh hi grandma!" Sam exclaimed in pleasant surprise. "I didn't know you were coming over today."

"Oh pish-posh, Samantha. I've missed you so much." She gave her granddaughter a hug. Sam came into the house and took her black coat off. "So how are things going with you and that nice young man with the black hair and baby blue eyes?"

Sam's cheek reddened and she looked at her grandmother nervously. "Um…we kinda broke up."

"Oh what a shame! I thought you two young lovebirds really had it made…"

"We did." Sam said rashly. "But _apparently_ he didn't like things that way." Sam had only a slight hint of bitterness in her voice. "We're still best friends though. Tucker liked it better that way too."

"But you still care about that boy."

"What?" Sam didn't want to admit it, but she knew she couldn't hide it from her grandmother because she knew her all too well.

"Danny. You still have feelings for him."

"He'll never know; he's always been clueless. And besides, he likes Valerie now."

"Ah, the unhappy poor girl."

"And she never stopped wanting him either."

"Don't worry," Sam's grandmother put her hand on Sam's shoulder, "You'll get your chance to fulfill the desires of your heart."

Sam only smiled. She went upstairs to her bedroom and put on a black wool sweater. Her room was a little chilly, and she liked it that way. She curled up on the couch in her bedroom and continued with the story she was writing. Ever since Cecelia had inspired her to write again, Sam had been writing all the more. She hadn't touched her story notebook in years and she felt somewhat glad to be writing again. She remembered how it used to be her way of fueling her emotions—happy and sad—onto paper and out of her mind. Her last story had ended with the demise of a character similar to Paulina—snooty and irritating. But this character only had Paulina's bad attributes because Sam refused to believe anything good can come from Paulina.

There came a knock at Sam's bedroom door.


	24. Chapter 22: Christmas Nearly Here

**Okay so I know I haven't updated in a while, but I've been busy and all that. I'm just glad to be uploading this right now. And I hope you guys will review it! Reviews are always really encouraging :P**

**Chapter 22: Christmas Nearly Here**

"Happy afternoon, sunshine!" It was Sam's flaky red-haired mother. Beside her stood her husband and Sam's father.

Sam groaned. "What is it now?" Sam asked with a tone.

"Oh sweetie we just wanted to see what you were doing!" Sam's mother peered over her notebook and Sam pulled it away.

"I know that lately you've been spending a lot of time writing and I'm just glad you're making happy little stories rather than spending time with that bad influence of a boyfriend you used to have." Sam's father smiled, oblivious to her emotions.

Sam lowered her eyebrows and placed her notebook in between her parents and herself so she wouldn't have to look at them.

"Put your holiday dress on, honeybuns!" Sam's father, Jeremy, opened her closet. "You know we bought that especially for you. It'll help brighten up that attitude of yours."

"And speaking of brightening," Sam's mother opened the drapes to Sam's windows. Sam cringed at the light. "How about this warm sun? Isn't it wonderful?" Pamela Manson had a voice that was so high and surged upward as if being zapped by electricity. And Pamela's laugh was right about unbearable.

"Will you please…just leave." Sam said through her clenched teeth.

Sam's parents walked out the door. "Bye sweetycakes!"

Sam quickly shut the door, happy to be away from them. She curled back up on the couch. Then she realized that a page of her notebook was sticking out. She pulled it out and studied it. She smiled full-heartedly. "I remember this." She whispered to herself.

It was many drawings she had done of the Danny Phantom emblem that she had made years ago. Somewhere in the depths of her mind she remembered how she'd always wanted a necklace like that. She'd have to get it custom made, and she just didn't have the means of getting that. Money was no object, but Sam really didn't know any good jewelry stores around. So it was somewhat impossible.

Christmas was nearing with each passing week and Danny was all the more un-cheerful. And the worst part was that he couldn't figure out why. Maybe he didn't want to admit it to himself. He had spent the past few days all alone up in his bedroom sleeping away his life. His family and friends had tried to include him in their holiday traditions, but every time he had refused. He just didn't feel in the Christmas mood. Christmas surrounded him and everyone around him was happy. He couldn't help but feel just a little lonely.

And then at school, he tried to make things right with Valerie but just didn't know the right words to say. He could tell she really didn't know what to say either. He wondered if she even forgave him at all. Oh well, school would soon be over for the beak and then Danny would get some free time to hang out with his friends and not have to deal with the extra responsibility that school promised him.

A ghostly messenger wore a red Christmas hat and flew around the neighborhood while he was intangible. His purpose was to deliver letters to the ghosts in the town and one he placed silently in the mailbox before the Fenton house.

Soon, a gigantic, overbearing man in an orange jumpsuit reached into the mailbox and pulled out an armful of Christmas cards and walked into his house. "Honey, the mail's here!" he announced. His wife, a red-haired woman in a blue jumpsuit came down the stairs and the man handed her the entire pile.

"Look at all of these Christmas cards!" She exclaimed as she put them up on the wall. "Danny, there's a letter for you!"

A thin black-haired boy came up from the basement. He took the letter. The letter was addressed simply "Danny and Danielle". It was a formal invitation to a party in the Ghost Zone hosted by a man named Mr. Jingle. Danny took the letter up to his bedroom. "Danielle!" he called his little sister and she phased through the wall between their bedrooms.

"Yes?" she asked in her light, upbeat voice.

"We've been invited to a party on Christmas to honor the treaty of ghosts."

"Cool!"

"We should assume all ghosts have been invited, since they knew where you and I lived."

"What's it say?" She took the letter from his hands. She read it quickly. "All it says is that we are invited in honor of the treaty. It doesn't give an address or anything else."

"I'm sure we'll be able to find our way." Danny determined.

"What do we do once all the relatives start coming over?" Danielle asked curiously. "They haven't all met me yet and I'll feel so awkward."

"You just hang around Jazz."

"Are you going to invite her to the Ghost Zone party? What about Valerie? And Tucker and Sam?"

"Stop asking me all these questions Danielle! I'm trying very hard not to get annoyed because I'm not really feeling Christmassy right now!"

"Why not?"

"Hello! Cecelia just died trying to save our lives. And I can't even tell my parents about it. You can't even imagine how upset I am right now." Although it felt good for him to finally let it all out, Danielle was a bit scared. "I'm sorry I went off on you like that Danielle." He pulled her into a hug and she hugged him back.

"It's allright bro." she smiled. "Cecelia was my friend too."

"Jazz is here!" Danny and Danielle heard their father shout from the first floor.

Danny and Danielle rushed downstairs to see their orange-haired college sister standing in the front doorway they both engulfed her in a squeezing hug. "Danielle! Danny! I missed you so much!" she smiled and took off her coat.

Jazz hugged her mom. "Merry Christmas, sweetheart!" Maddie said.

Next she hugged her father. "Welcome home Jasmine!"

"So what have you all been up to ever since I've been gone?" Jazz asked.

"I've been working on a Christmas song." Danielle said.

Danny walked back upstairs in his grouchy mood and everyone was too focused on Jazz to ask him why he was mad. He sat at his desk and turned on his laptop. He saw that Sam was online.

"Hi. Jazz is home so if you wanted to come see her you could come over sometime." He chatted to Sam.

"I'd like to but not right now. I'm packing for France." Was Sam's reply.

"When are you leaving?"

"January third. So what's _really_ bothering you? I know you too well to see that every time you chat with me on the computer it's because there's something wrong."

Danny knew he couldn't deny that she was right. "I'm still upset about what happened with Cecelia."

"What you need is time. And there isn't a happier time in the world than Christmas day! It's the only time of the year when I'm not perpetually dark and ominous. And I don't even celebrate it."

"Yeah."

"Your parents stopped that Santa/No Santa fight, right?"

"Yeah."

"Well, I hope you find the happiness you're looking for."

"Oh that reminds me. What do you want for Christmas? I've been keeping a list of what everybody wants so that I know the perfect gift to give them."

"Well it'll be a little hard for you, then, because I don't want anything."

"Nothing at all?"

"No. But, just out of curiosity, what does everybody else want?"

"Well, Tuck wants that new Gyro-Sage PDA."

"Figures."

"And Val wants this pair of Vidani heels. Danielle wants some new music-holder thing. I'm going to get Jazz a friend for her Bearburt. And Garth, well, I haven't gotten a chance to ask him yet."

"Yeah, you can't just walk up to a guy like him and ask such a personal question. Hey, I gotta go. I'll see you at school tomorrow. Happy last-day-of-school-before-Christmas-vacation."

Danny and Sam signed off. "Maybe this Christmas won't be too bad after all." Danny said to himself.

"Danny! Danny!" Danielle came into Danny's bedroom. "I just saw the present Jazz got you and you're going to love it."

"Thanks for telling me that." Danny smiled.

"So you should really invite Tucker and Sam to the Ghost Zone party. And Valerie too. I'll assume Garth will be coming, since he is a ghost as well?"

"Slow down, Danielle. I'm sure Garth will come, but the party is for ghosts only. The invitation didn't say we're allowed to bring friends."

Danielle sulked. She looked around the room. "You really should wrap that present you got for Valerie. How much did that cost you anyways?"

"None of your business." Danny said as he pushed his little sister out of his room. They stuck their tongues out at each other in a childish way, and then Danny shut the door in Danielle's face.

Danny put the red high heels in the Christmas box they came in and put a bow on top of it. He sighed and looked at them. "Geez. I'll never understand why a girl would pay a hundred-eighty for a pair of shoes."

It was school the next day, and everyone was happy that it was the very last day before they would be out for Christmas. To set the mood, Dash was doing his annual holiday bullying, in which he not only did the regular routine but stuck a bow on their face with his name on it. The bow was super-glued, to be exact.

Paulina's idea about spreading holiday cheer was actually writing a holiday _cheer_.

"I'm Paulina, I'm so hot

You're all losers and you're not

I've got spirit yes I do

Merry Christmas, New Years' too!

Maybe one day you'll be me

Looking shapely and pretty

But right now you're all a mess

I hope you clean up well for Christmas!"

Valerie was also in the holiday mood. She hadn't lost her smile all day and for some reason she just didn't feel like beating up her punching bag this morning.

Sam wished "Merry Christmas" to everyone she met. And Tucker, well, he had a few unsuccessful runs with his mistletoe hat. Danny tried to ignore the sudden happiness that slowly covered the school. But try as he may, it just wouldn't go away.

"Cheer up Danny. School's almost over. Then we can all go home and be with our families. Or in my case—going to Garth's house to play video games since you told me you're not in the mood!" Tucker always tried to put a positive spin on negative statements.

Danny groaned. "So now I'm being replaced?"

"Well, Garth also invited all of us to go over to the lab he works at to eat the leftovers from their holiday dessert party, but you didn't want to come."

"I already told you—that lab reminds me too much of Cecelia."

"We all miss her dude. You just need time, and distraction. Why don't you come with me over to the lab and we'll gorge ourselves in those lemon squares and chocolate covered cookies and ice cream platters."

"Allright." Danny agreed. "But I still hate the holidays." He said. The bell rang and all the students cheered and ran out the doors of the classroom hugging one another and releasing exclamations of anxiety.

Someone tapped Danny from behind as he was standing at his locker.

"I couldn't help but overhear you hate the holidays."

Danny turned around to see a blond-haired boy with brown eyes and dark circles around his eyes.

"Who are you?" Danny asked.

"I'm Wenn. I'll talk to you later." Wenn walked away creepily. "Phantom."

Danny looked back but Wenn was already gone. Did Wenn actually say that? Danny couldn't be sure. There were overlapping voices all around him so he could have heard something else.

"Are you ready to go Danny?" Danny turned around to see Tucker and Sam standing there with their backpacks, all ready to leave. Together, the three of them walked to the lab where Garth works.

Garth saw them approaching and let them in. "Sorry guys, the staff actually consumed the entire _dessert_ buffet."

"Aw!" Tucker whined.

"What do you do for Christmas, Garth?" Sam asked him out of the blue.

"Excuse me?"

"Well, everybody else likes to go home to their families. And you told me you'd be taking on a few extra shifts to earn more money on Christmas." Tucker remembered.

"Yes, I'll be working on Christmas."

"Why?" Danny asked.

"Because those shifts pay more, that's why! And besides I don't have anything better to do."

"Don't you have a family?" Tucker asked.

"No. my brother's dead and my parents got separated and never got back together and besides that, my mom is chronically ill anyways and my father, well, he's the worst."

Sam took an interest because this was the first time Garth talked about his family with them.

"Did you get the letter?" Danny asked.

"What letter?" Garth asked puzzled. Danny insisted Garth take them to his home. "Here it is—and I live alone." Garth announced. Danny, Sam and Tucker now faced an old little townhouse near the edge of Amity Park. One of the windows had been busted a long time ago but was never fixed. The shingles were rotting in someplace but the lawn was full of snow that covered up the brown grass.

"That's…nice." Tucker lied.

"It's all I can afford." Garth admitted bitterly. He unlocked the door and they all went inside. Surprisingly, the inside walls were all nicely maintained and the house was generally clean.

"Aren't you ever going to go to college?" Sam asked concerned.

"I want to, and I was going to, but right now I've just recently been re-introduced to a whole new part of my life. I hope you all aren't forgetting about December 31st: the day I have to challenge Lyon for the dragon's throne."

"We couldn't forget even if we wanted to." Danny said. "So about that letter."

"Oh, right. I haven't gotten a chance to check the mail yet." Garth walked over to the small dining table which was in the kitchen because there was no dining room. Garth only had many items of junk mail. "Here it is!" Garth found a letter addressed to himself. He opened it and read it. "I'm invited to a Ghost Zone party?"

"Yup." Danny said. "It's only for ghosts, and it has to do with the treaty they all made a long time ago. This is a new thing, so I really don't know yet what it'll be like."

"Wow." Garth smiled. "It's been a long time since I've been invited to a Christmas party."

"Well get ready. If you want, you can come with Danielle and me." Danny said.

"Who's up for playing some video games!" Tucker waved the controller in the air.

Everyone agreed simultaneously. But since there were only two controllers, they had to share. It was Danny and Tucker versus Garth and Sam.


	25. Chapter 23: The Time Traveller

**Chapter 23: the gang gets a brief visit from somebody from the future. He gives them much needed information about a certain ghost that is planning to destroy Christmas.**

**Review, please! ;)**

**Chapter 23: The Time Traveller**

Christmas vacation seemed to go all too fast. Already Danny had slept away his first two days of Christmas vacation. He needed it, though. But now, he was just being lazy when he decided to sleep in till one in the afternoon. He slowly ate a bowl of cereal for breakfast. Jazz sat at the couch reading a book while Danielle was using an aerobics-type video game. Down in the basement, Jack and Maddie were whipping up something ghost related and the sound of clanking metal was impossible to deny.

This was the holidays at the Fentons'.

"I'm going out to Valerie's house." Danny finally decided. It didn't take him long to put on his coat and scarf and gloves. Once he was off his parents' block, he changed into ghost form and flew the rest of the way. And then he turned human again just before he rang Valerie's doorbell.

"Hi Danny." Valerie greeted peculiarly.

"Since I'm not going to see you again before Christmas, I thought I'd rather just give you your present now." He was nervous as he handed her the box.

"Oh!" she exclaimed in surprise when she saw the box. "Come in, come in." she pleaded and he did so and then shut the door.

"Do you like it?" he asked as she opened the box.

She gasped. "It's just what I wanted! Thank you Danny." Valerie gave him a hug.

"I hope we can be friends again."

"We never stopped being friends, Danny." Valerie said sadly. "It's just that…Cecelia's death tore us apart. She was the best friend I ever met. If you had gotten to know her, maybe you'd understand how I feel right now…" Valerie then realized how those words did not come out like she meant them to. "N-not that you don't! Because I know you were friends with her too. Everybody liked her. Everybody misses her."

"I know."

"But I really miss you Danny." Valerie sighed. "I'm sorry things happened the way that they did." She said regretfully.

"Maybe…we can fix things?" Danny was brave to ask.

Valerie kissed him on the cheek. "Call me later—after the New Year. Things always look better in the next year, right? Fresh start? New beginnings?"

"Second chances." Danny said as he phased through the front door.

He looked back before walking away as if he was waiting for her to chase after him or something. But that was pointless, because she did not. The cold ghost boy flew away into the bleak midwinter.

It was another day—three days before Christmas to be exact. Danny, Sam, Tucker, and Garth were all walking together to the Nasty Burger.

"How's your Christmas, Sam?" Tucker teased.

Sam frowned. "My parents are knitting cheerful sweaters for the whole family. Mine's pink." She said through her teeth.

The boys couldn't hide their laughs.

"My dad didn't knock over the tree yet this year." Danny said. "And for us, that's a record."

"My parents are planning a big roast feast." Tucker smiled. "An all-meat buffet!"

"I'm not really doing anything except for work…" Garth looked down. "I think I'm going to sleep Christmas away."

"Garth!" Everybody scolded him.

"Garth, you need to come to the party!" Danny insisted.

"Nah. I've been thinking about it and I'm going to have to pass. Maybe next year."

"Suit yourself." Danny said.

They all walked into Nasty Burger and there the workers were all wearing reindeer headbands or Santa hats. "Merry Christmas!" They greeted as the doorbell rang. Their cheer was so obviously fake and forced and…false.

Danny and his friends sat at their usual booth.

"Why didn't Valerie want to come with is?" Tucker asked.

"I talked to her, and she'd really rather just be left alone." Danny said sadly.

"Can I take your order?" A waitress appeared.

"I'll have a cheeseburger." Tucker said.

"Ditto." Said Garth.

"Same for me." said Danny.

"I'll have a vegetable salad." Sam said.

And then the waitress placed the order up front.

"So are you and Val getting back together or not?" Tucker questioned to Danny. Sam shifted uncomfortably which Danny did not notice. Tucker and Garth did. Garth studied his three friends during this long pause in which Danny didn't quite know how to reply.

"Um…" Was all that came out of Danny's mouth.

"I knew it! This whole time I knew exactly what was going to happen between Danny and Valerie but nobody believed me." Sam said with a spiteful tone.

"_Oh I believed you_," Tucker assured her, "But I just didn't _want to_—for Danny's sake."

"Guys, come on. I really care about Valerie. Could you all just try to help me out a little here? I really do want her bacl. It's just that there are other emotions interfering with our relationship." Danny declared.

"Well if there's one thing I know about relationships, it's that they won't happen if neither person makes a move." Tucker said proudly.

Danny opened his mouth to say something but then he noticed that the food had arrived. The boys all wolfed down their cheeseburgers whereas Sam ate her salad slowly and politely.

While they waited for her, they began to crack all these strange jokes that come out when it's only guys talking to each other. Sam felt extremely awkward. Although, she would have felt even more awkward if she was sitting next to Danny. Instead, she was next to Tucker. And he wasn't half the man Danny was.

As the four of them exited Nasty Burger, they passed an alley. Eventually, a thin boy with light brown hair and grey eyes stood in front of them. "Good heavens, it's Danny Phantom!" The brunette boy put his hand on his chest, startled.

Danny stared at him nervously. "Wha? Excuse me, but—"

"I know exactly who you are, halfa." The boy looked at Danny seriously. "I'm Allexis."

"Great." Sam said sarcastically. "Can you let us past now please?"

Allexis moved in front of her to stop her from moving forward. "Where's Sakki?" He asked the four of them in a somber tone.

Danny, Sam, Tucker and Garth looked at each other in bewilderment.

"Sakki Hazel. Where is she?" Allexis demanded.

"I knew a _Cecelia_ Hazel." Tucker piped up.

Allexis sighed in disappointment. "Her full name is Sakki Cecelia Hazel. Where is she? Do you even know?"

"She's in Greenier Cemetery." Tucker said slowly. "Six feet under."

Allexis's heart stopped for a beat as he stared at Tucker. "Are you kidding?"

"I'm afraid not." Garth said.

Allexis began to panic, which everybody could see. He squeezed his hair tightly. "No! She can't be! This will ruin the entire future! Oh dear! When did this happen? How did it happen? You must know!"

"Take it easy, man. It was just a month ago. She died saving Danny and all the other ghosts. She destroyed her father's invention, which would have killed all the ghosts." Tucker said regretfully.

"It should have been me." Danny said painfully.

"Whoa, whoa, don't go down that road, Danny." Sam warned.

"Calm down." Garth said.

"Don't worry, Allexis, things will fix themselves. They always do." Allexis had a habit of talking to himself when nervous.

"How do you know about her anyways?" Sam asked Allexis.

"How do I know about her? How do I know about her!" Allexis rattled. "I'm a descendent of her family!"

"Her family?" the four teens asked in unison.

"Yes, yes. It's all too complicated for you to understand right now, but you'll understand in about thirty years—wait no, you can't because she's dead. Ugh. That has to change! Without her, there will be no one to conquer the Tossi and my family will not exist! And without her, how are you guys going to stop Cirth?"

"Who?" Tucker asked.

"Vlad Plasmius finally perfected Danny Phantom's clone!" Allexis blurted out. But he regretted it immediately after he said it because he realized they had no clue what he was talking about. "See, this is what I hate about time travel: I always get the timing part of it wrong!"

"So what is Cirth doing?" Sam asked.

"He's carrying out Vlad's plan to destroy Christmas." Allexis said.

"What?" Tucker exclaimed. "He can't do that! How in the world does he think he can pull it off?"

"Somehow he goes back in time to the First Christmas and stops the tradition of giving presents and being merry."

"How?" Danny asked impatiently.

"I don't know!" Allexis threw his arms in the air. "But you are supposed to stop him." Allexis pointed at Danny. "Since Cecelia's not with you, you'll have to do it alone."

"Why is Cecelia so important to you?" Sam asked.

"She's important to the time stream I come from. She's _supposed_ to be Danny's sidekick and best friend."

"Hey!" Tucker said.

"But I suppose after Clockwork made it so that nobody would remember Fenton here had a secret, the future was drastically altered from what it should have been." Allexis paced back and forth.

"_What_ should have been?" Danny dared to ask.

"A revolution against all of your enemies. She taught you to stand up for yourself when needed and not to just go with the flow. Without her, you'll probably end up marrying Miss Bat Wings over here."

"Hey!" Sam said.

"What?" Danny gasped. "That'll _never_ happen."

"Ugh! I've told you too much already! But I've told you enough so that you can stop Cirth!"

"No you haven't." Garth interrupted.

"He'll be at the Christmas party in the Ghost Zone. Danny, you have to challenge him. Alone." Allexis said.

"But what if I fail?" He asked.

Allexis looked at Danny and said nothing. He pressed a button on his watch and faded into thin air and was gone like that. The four teens gasped.

Danny was now very scared.

"Calm down Danny." Tucker said.

"Hey aren't all of your relatives coming to your house tonight?" Sam asked Danny.

Danny groaned when he realized it was true.

"That should put him in the holiday spirit." Garth said with a load of sarcasm. Sam and Tucker laughed.

"This is no time to joke, guys! My evil clone is out to destroy Christmas! I don't know exactly what Vlad is planning, but it can't be good." Danny said. They all began their walk home. Since they lived near each other, their walk would be the same for about half a mile.

"Wasn't it strange how Allexis knew about Clockwork and what Clockwork did?" Tucker reminded Danny.

"Or that he knew Cecelia's full name?" Sam said.

"Then he must be a legit time-traveler." Garth decided. "Oh, here's my street." He waved goodbye to his friends as he turned down his street.

"There's only one way to find out more about Cirth," Tucker said, "But you'll really need to keep a close eye out during that Christmas party." Tucker turned down his street which left just Danny and Sam.

"So…" Sam laughed awkwardly.

"So, about what Allexis said, that was totally ridiculous about us getting married. We're cool, right? Because I can tell you know that that's never going to happen."

"No, of course not!" Sam lied. She had always pictured herself with him and that was that. "But there is no more Cecelia." She reminded him with this slight hint that she still had feelings for him. But he didn't catch it. He was always so clueless.

"Thanks for reminding me." Danny said sadly.

Sam turned down her street and then a few minutes later Danny was in front of his own house.

Jack Fenton opened the door to let Danny inside. "Merry Christmas, son!" he said to Danny.

Danny looked around the living room and there were many relatives gathered there Danny recognized his aunt Alicia, who was talking to Jazz. Danny noticed his grandparents, who gave him kisses as he walked past them. Danny walked upstairs to Danielle's bedroom and was relieved to find that she was in there.

"Danielle, we need to talk. Vlad made a clone of me and together they're going to destroy Christmas."

Danielle stared at Danny sleepily. "What?"

"It's true. And I'll need your help." Danny admitted.

"Well, tell me what you need me to do." said Danielle.


	26. Chapter 24: Christmas Is Here

**Chapter 24: Christmas Is Here**

Merry Christmas! There was a salvation army Santa at every street corner and a snowball fight in every alley and a snowman on every lawn. Each little house was decorated with lights galore and they flashed rapidly all day long. People were singing in church. Little children were eating desserts. Old enemies were shaking each other's hands on this special day of the year.

But one soul was dark. Somewhere, Vlad Plasmius was plotting the destruction of this one day of the year that brought with itself peace and good cheer.

Danny Fenton was in his bedroom getting dressed for the party later. His own family was downstairs enjoying themselves. Danny had told his parents "I'm going to be with some friends." And they had permitted he and Danielle to leave.

"Are you ready yet?" Danielle came into the room. She was wearing a cute little red dress for the party instead of her usual jumpsuit. "The sun's already gone down."

Danny was wearing his Danny Phantom suit and he had his hair all brushed nicely and he was wearing a red Santa hat. He gave Danielle a green Santa hat.

"Festive." Danielle smiled. The two of them walked downstairs and waved goodbye to their family and then walked out the door so that everyone would see them leave. Then they both changed into their ghost forms and phased down to the basement and went through the ghost portal and were lucky that no one heard.

Danny grabbed his sister's hand. All the realms around them in the Ghost Zone appeared to be ghost-free. "Wow. Everybody must have gotten invited!" Danny said but he couldn't believe it.

"Look over there!" Danielle pointed to a wave of ghosts flying towards a small little building. This little house was decorated very festively, unlike the rest of the Ghost Zone, which merely looked as it had always been.

"I think that's where the party is." Danny decided.

"Duh!" Danielle teased. The two of them went up to a door and a butler ghost let them inside.

"Welcome to Mr. Jingle's manor." The butler said.

"Whoa." Danny and Danielle said in unison as they looked around the place. It was _huge_. It seemed to have endless floors and they all centered around a gigantic chandelier. Inside here were all the ghosts in the Ghost Zone. In relation to the size of this house, it was not as packed in as Danny expected it to be.

"Let's go get some punch." Said Danielle. She tugged at Danny's arm and they floated over to the punch bowl. "And then we can dance." Danielle gulped down the floor and followed the sound of the music. Wherever there was music, Danielle had a way of finding it. Danny just followed her.

"Hi Danny." Some ghosts that Danny had met and fought before waved to him as if they were friends. Bewildered, he waved back. In all honesty he couldn't believe his eyes.

As he waved to ghosts he knew, he did not see what was right in front of him. He walked right into a great man who was holding a staff under his elbow. "Hello there, Danny Phantom. I'm glad you could make it."

"You must be Mr. Jingle." Danny said.

"Yes, I am actually. Are you enjoying the party?"

Danny nodded.

"Good. Well, it's all about to end shortly so I suggest you enjoy your time while it lasts." The man said with a creepy tone. His hands glowed with ecto energy, ready to fire at Danny.

"Vlad!" Danny shouted angrily. His hands glowed too and he waited for Mr. Jingle to make the first move.

"No, silly, I'm right here." Danny turned around to see Vlad Plasmius standing there proudly. He caught Danny in a headlock which Danny could not get out of.

"Then who's?" Danny looked at Mr. Jingle and watched him laugh evilly as he morphed into a twelve-year-old boy who looked just like Danny. Danny gasped. "Cirth?" Cirth showed Danny the staff, which he had stolen from Clockwork.

"I'm glad I won't have to explain that part to you while I'm destroying Christmas once and for all." Vlad said. Cirth cackled and then disappeared. Vlad tossed Danny into a wall and he groaned from pain. Vlad flew into the center of the mansion. "I now challenge every ghost to a battle." He announced. Everyone fell silent and all the music stopped all the ghosts stared at Vlad but none said a word.

A little red-haired girl in a green dress floated over to Vlad. "You cannot battle today! It's Christmas day!"

Vlad chuckled. "I can too because the treaty is off! Old enemies, new enemies, you're all gathered here today and you have the opportunity to fight each other so why not do it now? The winners will gain power and control more realms if they take out the lower ones! Let the battles begin!"

But everyone was still silent. A ghost entered the room. She was tall and wore a white dress and had long silver hair and beautiful green eyes like gemstones. "I'm afraid it's true—Christmas really is no more." She said sadly.

That was all that some ghosts needed to break out into a violent fight with their enemies. They knew that this ghost woman would not lie to them. Danny approached her. "Who are you? What's going on?"

"I am Midnight Clear. I'm the head of the twelve ghosts of Christmas."

"How come I've never heard of them?"

"Oh you _have_. You just didn't realize it. Santa is one example. And Holly over there is one too. So are the ghosts that humans often refer to Christmas Past, Present, and Future."

"Danny what's happening?" Danielle appeared at his side.

"Vlad ruined Christmas." Danny said. He looked around, but Vlad was already gone.

"You can fix this." Midnight Clear looked at Danny.

"You're not a very violent ghost are you?" Danny smiled at her.

Midnight shook her head. "I am one of the few ancient ghosts from the olden days—back when Pariah Dark ruled the ghost zone. I was one of those who rebelled against him and searched for hope and peace among our realms. I was there when we formed the treaty in honor of Christmas. Now it's up to you two to help us. You _will_ help us, won't you?" she pleaded.

Danielle and Danny looked at each other. "I'm in." Danielle agreed.

"Just how are we supposed to fix this mess anyways?" Danny asked.

"It's simple: you go to Clockwork's lair and find Cirth using one of the gadgets there. And then you use Clockwork's portal to get to Cirth. Then you challenge Cirth and take back the staff which he stole from Clockwork and then you fix whatever Cirth messed up."

"Simple, right." Danny said sarcastically. "Fine, I'll help you."

"First, I suggest that you look at your world and see what it is like with no Christmas." Midnight bid them goodbye.

Danny and Danielle found the portal back home and flew through it. It was strange. No relatives were home and Jack and Maddie were fretfully trying to fix one of their broken inventions. Danny and Danielle watched from above and they were intangible.

Jack and Maddie were arguing and it was not pleasant.

Danielle didn't like it at all.

"Jazz! Where is she?" Danny realized.

"Probably still at college since there's no Christmas." Danielle whispered. The two of them flew out into the streets, still intangible. The streets were dark and lonely and there was not a single Christmas decoration or garland of lights. The snow had been roughly shoveled off to the side and people impatiently rushed to get home. There were no Christmas carols being sung and no Santas around.

"Tucker?" Danny and Danielle flew to his house. They stood there in his bedroom where he was playing with one of his PDAs.

Danny and Danielle turned visible again.

"Oh hi there guys." Tucker said dully. He was frowning and his eyes were half-closed.

"Watcha doin' Tuck?" Danny asked randomly.

"I don't know, man! My life's falling apart!" Tucker threw the PDA on the floor. "Ever since my parents got the divorce, I've just been a wreck!"

"Divorce?" Danny and Danielle exclaimed.

"Yeah, yeah. You know how they act. They decided they couldn't stand each other one minute longer, so they split. And they left me here all alone."

"I'm pretty sure that's not legal." Danielle said.

"Sam!" Danny remembered her. "See ya later, Tuck." Danny took Danielle to Sam's mansion of a house. Together they flew in through her window.

"Danny? Is that you? Why are you here?" Sam was taking a nap on her couch and she sat up when Danny approached her.

"Hi Sam." He said. He took a good look at her—she was wearing all black clothes and black lipstick and heavy black eyeliner.

"Sam, you look more goth than usual." Danielle said. "Did someone die?"

"How can you say that, Danielle! I miss my grandmother very much so it's nothing to joke about!" Sam shouted. "She's the only one who understood me besides you, Danny!" Sam had a little tantrum.

"Oh no! But this is the one time of the year you're supposed to be cheery!" Danny insisted.

"What?" Sam looked at them strangely. "During Chanukah?"

"No, it's _Christmas_!" Danny insisted.

"Danny, I think you should go back home and get some sleep." Sam said.

Danny flew out the window with his sister behind him.

"What do you think happened to Garth?" Danielle said to Danny in a low tone.

"I don't want to know."

"What about Valerie, Dash, Paulina and Cecelia?" Danielle looked around the eerie dark neighborhood. All was quiet and lifeless. All was in a mad rush for progress and to move on. There was no joy or peace and certainly no hope. Christmas was truly _gone_.

"Take that, ghost!" shouted a voice from below. A blast of ecto goop was hurtling towards Danny but he and Danielle dodged out of the way just in time.

"Oh _no_." Danny noticed Valerie standing on the sidewalk carrying a gigantic blaster. "We have to get out of here!" Danny pulled his sister along, but Valerie changed into her suit and followed them.

"That's for breaking my heart!" Valerie fired another blast. And she continued to do so until the two ghost teens were at the Fenton house. "I wouldn't go in there if I were you."

But Danny and his sister didn't listen. They flew through the house and straight into the basement. "Funny, I thought we left the portal open." Danny said when he noticed it was closed.

Suddenly, green gas was all around Danny and his sister. Two pairs of eyes slowly approached them. Danny found himself getting sleepier and sleepier until he could fight it no longer.

When Danny opened his eyes, he and Danielle were on a large dissecting table and their arms and legs were chained to it.

A pair of loaded, middle-aged, overbearing adults stood over the dissecting table observing their subjects. The woman had red hair, but other than that she looked nothing like Danny's mother. Her eyes were squinted and her face was wrinkled and she was angry and held in her hand many sharp dissecting tools. The man had a mullet and he was fairly thin and Danny could just barely see a piece of his father in there.

"Let us go!" Danielle demanded.

"I'm your son, see?" Danny changed back into his human form.

"Don't try to trick us, ghost. We disowned you years ago when you got that power." The man insisted. "Now we only have one child: Jasmine."

"What?" Danielle gasped. "What about me?" If they had disowned Danny then Danielle wouldn't have become a part of their family.

"I don't know you." The woman raised her dissecting knife. "And I don't want to."

Danny and Danielle screamed.

"Wait, I'm a ghost, duh!" Danny remembered that there was nothing stopping him from phasing himself and his sister out of this mess. He did so and Jack and Maddie Fenton expressed their outrage by firing weapons at Danny and Danielle.

Danielle erected a shield around her and her brother while he attempted to open the Fenton portal. "I can't hold off much longer." Danielle winced every time a blast hit her shield. It was weakening her power.

"Come on, come on! There we go!" Danny said happily as the portal opened. "I'll fix this. I promise." Danny said to his parents. They did not listen to him but kept firing. He and Danielle went into the portal and were safe from those who wished to harm them.

"That was a nightmare!" Danielle said weakly.

"Are you allright?" Danny asked her.

"Yeah, I'll get my strength back. For now let's just focus on getting to Clockwork's lair." As Danielle and Danny flew side by side, they observed the ghost zone and its residents.

Sure, it was the same eerie world. But now that Cirth had created thi9s alternate reality, the ghost zone seemed all the more frightening. Danny had never seen the place this cheerless during Christmas time.

Soon the two were at Clockwork's lair.

"You know, you really should get a cool ghostly lair like this." Danielle said to her brother.

"Let's focus, Danielle. Look around what kind of gadget do you suppose would help us find Cirth?" Danny noticed Clockwork's round circular portal. "We'll need that for later."

He made a mental note.

Danielle noticed the time medallions. "Oh, they're so shiny! What do they do?" she reached out to touch one.

"No!" Danny pulled her away once he remembered what those medallions can do. "Look here. It's a scanner thingy." He noticed a small scanning device and picked it up. It made a loud beeping noise and turned on.

"Bethlehem. Year zero." An automated computer voice said. A picture of that time appeared on the circular portal of Clockwork's.

"That must be where Cirth went." Danny said.

"Wow, Clockwork's going high-tech." Danielle said. "The portal must be set for the time that Cirth set it to. That means that if we go back to that time, Cirth hasn't destroyed Christmas yet and we'll still have a chance." Danielle figured out as Danny pulled her into the portal after setting down the scanner.

The two of them found themselves in a poor village. There were many dusty citizens bustling around and all the houses and hotels were packed full. Danny and Danielle walked around a bit. Just outside the village limits was a small dark stable where the animals must be kept. Danny and Danielle couldn't help but smile—they knew the story too well.

Night had already fallen and Cirth was not in sight.

"We should probably try to blend in." Danny said. He and his sister stood off to the side and changed back to their human selves. Danielle was still wearing that red dress.

"Hey I have an idea." Danielle said as she pulled Danny into a market. They exchanged their own clothes for clothes to blend in with the place—mostly browns and grays. And they wore sandals. And their jet black hair made them blend in all the more nicely.

"Let's just look for a kid who looks just like you." Danielle looked at Danny.

"Oh, duh! I'm not thinking. I know where Cirth is!" Danny tugged at her had. "Come on!" and they ran towards the stable. They had to be quiet so as not to be heard. They turned intangible as they walked around the stable until they caught a glimpse of someone crouching in the shadows. Danielle and Danny could see many shepherds approaching the shed from the other side.

Danny didn't have to say anything—Danielle read his mind.

The two of them watched as Cirth slowly made his way to the other side once the shepherds were all inside. Cirth turned intangible and phased through the door to stop the shepherds from giving presents to the baby that was lying in a manger in a corner.

Intangible Danny and Danielle phased through the door as well. They heard Cirth walking and so they found him even though he was invisible. Without turning visible themselves, they both took Cirth by surprise and wrestled with him, keeping him away from the shepherds and the baby.

One thing kept repeating in Danny's mind: if Cirth succeeds, then the treaty will cease to exist just like Midnight had presumed.

And it was while Danny was wrestling with Cirth and trying to get the staff that he…really noticed the humble beginnings of Christmas. This is where it all started, and, people don't mention that very often today. Sure, they'll sing those old age hymns, but they don't really ever think about what they're singing. Nowadays Christmas is about getting, but the very first Christmas isn't about that at all. It's _only_ about giving. That baby is here to give a very great gift later in his life and the shepherds are bringing him all they have to thank him for doing that.


	27. Chapter 25: What Danny Wants

**Chapter 25: What Danny Wants**

Danielle grabbed the staff and Danny held Cirth in a headlock. By then, all of the shepherds had presented their gifts in front of the baby and the two adults that were kneeling next to him.

"Noooo!" Cirth choked out, but it was too late for him. The three of them found themselves back in the Ghost Zone, standing before a lengthy counsel table made for twelve ghosts. Behind the table was a large jury. At the end of the table, Walker was holding Vlad in chains and the twelve ghosts read off his sentence.

"You, Vlad Plasmius, and your cohort are sentenced to six-hundred years in prison for attempting to destroy Christmas." A Santa-like ghost declared. "All in favor say aye."

"Aye." Said Holly.

"Aye." Said a snowman ghost, and an elf ghost.

"No." Said an icy blue man.

"Oh come on, Frost!" Holly pleaded.

"Allright, aye." Said Frost reluctantly.

"Aye." Said three lady ghosts whose nametags read "Love", "Joy", and "Peace".

"Aye." Said a chipper ghost dressed from the past.

"Aye." Said a modern-looking ghost.

"Aye." Said a grim ghost in a dark hood.

"Consider that his sentence." Midnight finalized the sentencing and Walker took Vlad away.

The jury clapped.

"I'll take that." Clockwork redeemed his staff and then took his seat in the jury of other ghosts Danny did not recognize.

Two of Walker's goons took struggling Cirth out of Danny's arms and followed Walker. Danny and Danielle slowly approached the counsel table. Midnight smiled at them and stood up in respect.

"Well done, Danny and Danielle. You have saved Christmas from disaster." Midnight said.

The other eleven ghosts clapped for Danny and his sister.

"You're welcome." Danielle smiled.

"Thank you," Danny turned to Midnight, "For believing in me. And for showing me the true meaning of Christmas. I really needed that perspective."

"Oh, but it wasn't _me_ who taught you the true meaning." Midnight smiled. "But I'm glad you've learned, nevertheless."

There was a beat of silence.

"Goodbye, then." Danielle said and she and Danny changed into ghost form and started to float towards the portal that was in the center of the room.

"Wait, wait!" Midnight called to them and they stood still. "I don't suppose you have a Christmas wish you would like me to grant?"

Danielle gasped happily.

"Ask for anything." Midnight smiled.

"I wish for it to snow!" Danielle closed her eyes and when she opened them again, the ghost zone was snowing. Clouds appeared above and the snow appeared throughout all the realms and Danielle watched it, entranced.

Danny smiled halfway at Danielle's simple amusement.

"Isn't there anything _you_ want, Danny?" Midnight asked.

Instantaneously, Danny thought about Cecelia. Could Midnight bring her back? He almost wished for that, but then he remembered that everybody else wasn't having so great a Christmas as he. He thought of his friends Sam and Tucker, and Garth and Valerie, and how they were all having mediocre Christmases.

And then Danny thought of his family back home. His parents had wanted to give each other the gifts they really wanted but they just didn't have the money or the time this year.

Come to think of it, _nobody_ actually got what they really wanted for Christmas. Even Valerie, who had gotten what she asked for, was still not truly happy because she had lost her dear friend and then her life had taken a downhill spiral.

"Danny?" Midnight reminded him that she was still waiting.

"I wish for the power to grant everyone's Christmas wish." Danny thought it was the perfect answer. He thought about how he could make his friends happy instead of thinking about himself.

Midnight smiled proudly. "Very well then." She made a golden sack appear and handed it to Danny. It was just large enough to swing around his shoulder. "Make sure you stop by every house. What you need will be in that bag."

"And take this." The Santa ghost gave Danny his red and white hat.

"What about you, Danielle?" Danny asked his sister, who was still watching the snow.

"I'll be home later. The treaty's still on, right?" She flew off dramatically into the ghost zone greenery and waved to each ghost she passed and wished them a Merry Christmas. They bid her one too.

With that, Danny flew through the portal that was in the floor of this large room and he was back in the human world. Danny looked around him at all the holiday cheer.

That night, Midnight somehow made it possible for one ghost to travel the globe delivering present after present to everyone. Each time, it was some small token that was significant in their lives some were brought to tears. Others just wanted romance, so Danny made mistletoe appear between a few couples. Some wished for snow, and somehow, the snow came.

Danny saved the people he knew for last. Dash wished for a football to replace the expensive one he had that broke years ago. "Gee, thanks Danny Phantom!" Dash waved from his front porch.

Paulina wanted a hug from Danny Phantom, and that's just what she got. Though it wasn't a real hug that Danny would have given to someone he loved. It satisfied her simple expectations regardless.

Next was Tucker. Danny placed an expensive PDA on his front porch. Tucker had not asked anyone for this specific PDA, because it wasn't even in the stores yet and also cost an amount of money that nobody had. "Where'd you get this?" Was all Tucker could say because he couldn't believe his eyes.

"It's Christmas, man." Danny said as he flew away. The next house he came upon was his own. He knew he'd have to grant his parents' wishes and then Jazz's.

Jack and Maddie Fenton would later discover that some of their old inventions they had broken in the past were now fixed good as new.

And Jazz, well, she got a few books. And by a few, I mean a library. Danny must have pulled out a hundred books from the golden sack. "Thanks, little brother." Jazz said gratefully. "And Merry Christmas."

Not too far away was the Manson mansion. And Sam was home. Danny flew into her bedroom where she was sitting on her bed reading a gothic book. "What are you doing here?" she asked.

"Oh…nothing." Danny couldn't hide his smile as he left a small present underneath her black Christmas tree that was sitting on her desk.

"What's this?" She got up and opened the small blue box and gasped. She pulled out a small black necklace with the Danny Phantom emblem on it. "That's…something I've always wanted to get custom-made. How did you know?"

"It's Christmas." Danny smiled. He made his way to the window to take off again.

"Wait! Where are you going?"

"To Garth's house and then to Valerie's. I have some presents that need delivering."

"Can't I come with you?" Sam almost pleaded. "Don't you think you could…make room for me?"

"No, not really. I think it's better if you stay here." Danny said as he flew to Garth's house. Sam watched Danny dreamily until she could no longer see him.

Danny knocked on Garth's door and he answered it. Danny expected to just hand Garth his present and go, but there was no present in the golden bag. He shook it, but it was empty. "Oh no." Danny thought that the magical bag had run out of presents.

"What is it?" Garth asked Danny.

"Your present…I can't seem to find it…" Danny said awkwardly.

Garth's phone rang and he went over to answer it and Danny came inside.

Garth picked up the phone and a surprised look appeared on his face. "Dad? Mom?" he asked. "I can't believe it! You really are? See you in an hour." Garth put the phone down. "Danny! My mother's not sick anymore! And my parents have been talking to each other again and they've decided to visit me for Christmas!"

Danny realized what Garth's wish was. "Merry Christmas, Garth." Danny flew away.

The sounds of merry voices and carols echoed through the streets and Danny sung along while he was in flight.

But soon the cheerful voices began to get softer and more sparse and farther away until they could no longer be heard. Danny realized he was in Valerie's neighborhood. It was a poor neighborhood—so they didn't have very much to be cheerful about. Danny flew into Valerie's bedroom and there she was practicing with her kicking bag and making karate grunts too

"Danny?" Valerie noticed him.

"Hi Val." He realized that the bag was empty again. Now he had to think about what Valerie would want.

"What are you doing here?"

"Well…I thought it would be nice to be with friends and family during the holidays." That was Danny's excuse.

"Oh."

"Where's your family?" Danny asked.

"Downstairs. I got tired of 'em. It's just my dad and my uncle anyways."

"So you're just going to spend your Christmas beating up an oversized pillow?"

Valerie chuckled sadly. "Pretty much."

When Danny didn't say anything back, Valerie resumed her punching. Danny looked out the window and he could just imagine the songs of cheer that were only a few streets away. "What if I took you somewhere?"

"What?" Valerie asked.

"Just trust me, okay." Danny took her arm and they flew out the window hand in hand. At first she was a little scared because she didn't know where they were going, but then she gave into her heart and trusted Danny.

Danny brought Valerie to the rooftop of Fenton Works.

"What are we doing here?" she asked.

"Just listen." Danny said and he and Valerie sat close together and listened to the sounds of the city. With the nearby holiday music, and the sounds of people greeting each other happily, as well as the normal city sounds, they all came together to form one grand symphony. It was beautiful. It was almost like a lullaby.

Danny went to set the golden sack down and then discovered there was in fact an item in it. It was very small. Danny reached in and pulled out the very same class ring that his father had given him years ago. Danny originally wanted to give it to Valerie, but he ended up giving it to Sam because Danny's father had gotten it engraved with "Sam" on it. But Danny knew in his heart that the ring had always belonged for Valerie. Sam had given it back to him after their breakup. Danny looked on the inside of the ring where "Sam" used to be engraved on it, but now it was gone.

Danny turned to Valerie. "Here, it's for you." Was all the nervous boy could say. "I hope you don't think it's lame…because well, it meant a lot to me. Just like you do."

Valerie took it and studied it. "A class ring? What's this for?"

"I…..want you to be my girlfriend. For real this time. Now that you've seen the real me."

Valerie's eyes started to well up. She always thought class rings were lame, but that was because she never expected she would receive one. "Oh Danny!" She hugged him and in that moment, Danny knew he had given her all that she ever wanted. Their relationship had finally healed.

Danny stayed with her for a few moments more and then took her home. Then he remembered that he was still carrying the sack. He flew back through the ghost zone portal in his parents' basement and soon he was standing before Midnight Clear once again.

"Here you go." He handed her the sack and gave the Santa hat back to the Santa ghost. "I've made everyone's Christmas wish come true. Thank you for letting me do that."

"Not everyone's." Midnight looked at Danny tenderly.

Danny looked at her in bewilderment.

Midnight stepped out of the way to reveal Cecelia standing behind her—healed and alive—wearing a beautiful white Christmas gown.

Danny smiled and Cecelia smiled back.

"You, see, Danny, you made a very _unselfish_ wish. But you wished for _everybody's_ wish to come true, and that includes you." Midnight explained. "Merry Christmas." She said. "And don't worry—I've fixed it so that none of the humans remember her death except for you and your friends and us ghosts."

"Let's go home." Danny took Cecelia's arm. "I don't suppose you know where we are?" He asked Cecelia as he flew them through the portal.

"Actually, Midnight explained everything to me. And thank you…for wishing me back."

Danny chuckled happily.

"It's strange, you know? After what happened to me, I didn't think I'd come back. And now here I am with some explaining of my own to do."

"I'm not sure what you mean." Danny and Cecelia stood there in a snow-covered street.

Cecelia looked down at her hands and balls of fluctuating electrical energy formed around them. And at her command, they disappeared. Danny looked at her strangely. "Midnight said it had something to do with the Equator that I destroyed…"


	28. Chapter 26: Ghost Sense

**Finally, the last of the Christmas chapters! **

**Chapter 26: Ghost Sense **

It was Christmas Day. Danny Phantom and Cecelia Hazel stood face to face just after he brought her out of the ghost zone. Her hands glowed with an electrical energy that emanated from somewhere inside her.

"Midnight explained everything to me—how you are half ghost and half human. She told me about how that all happened and she told me about how Garth got his powers too. Midnight also told me about your history with Valerie. Midnight told me all about the relationship you had as humans and the fights you had when you were a ghost. I thought I understood everything…until this." Cecelia showed Danny the electric energy again. "All Midnight told me was that this had something to do with the Equator which I destroyed. But…how?"

Danny shook his head. "I've never seen anything like it. But I suppose it's possible you got your powers the same way I did. The Equator had to have some kind of ecto-converter thing so it could convert the energy, right? So maybe it converted some of your energy into electricity…"

Cecelia thought that was a bit of a stretch.

"Maybe you should go burn off some of that energy and see if the electricity goes away." Danny suggested.

Cecelia began doing a series of karate poses and moves that would have easily winded the average person. Surprisingly, Cecelia's energy did not diminish and neither did her ability to spawn the electric power she now had. She walked up to Danny. "I guess it's here to stay." She shrugged. "Let's try to see this as an advantage to our side."

"Yeah, just think of all the good you can do! You can help me and the rest of the team rid this town of ghosts!" Danny said excitedly.

"Yeah…" Cecelia began to give the idea some thought. "My suit got destroyed in the explosion on December third, so I can't do anything else besides spawn electricity. The most I could do is fry somebody."

Danny chuckled. "Maybe someday you will be able to shoot electricity around like I shoot plasma beams, ectobeams and icebeams. I'd like to teach you." Danny just remembered the time. "But right now I've got to get you home."

Danny took Cecelia's arm and flew her back to her home. And then he turned invisible while he waited for Cecelia's father to come out. Danny smiled because Dr. Hazel had forgotten his daughter's death and he now believed the explosion was an accident and Cecelia had been nowhere nearby when it occurred.

Everything was back to normal, for now.

It was December 26. Danny had been debating on what to tell his friends when they found out Cecelia was alive. But lucky for him, he didn't have to. He picked up the phone. It was Tucker.

"Danny, you'll never guess what I just found out! Cecelia's alive! She just called me and told me the whole story. I think it's really cool what you did."

"Thanks. I'm just so relieved she's okay."

"What are you going to do about her new super power?"

"I'm hoping to help her with it the best I can. That's assuming it'll be similar to my ectoblasts."

"See ya at the Nasty Burger later!" Tucker hung up.

Danny had made arrangements for himself, Cecelia, Sam, Tucker, Danielle and Garth to go have lunch at the Nasty Burger. It was Tucker's idea. Danny was going back and forth on whether or not to invite Valerie.

Danny stared at the phone. What if she didn't answer? What if she thought he was coming on too strong? What if she said no? Danny reached for the phone. "Here goes nothing." He said to himself. He took a deep breath and slowly dialed the number to Valerie's new cell phone.

"Hi. Is that you, Danny?"

"Danny? Oh yeah, that's me." Danny was so embarrassed and he hoped to make a comeback from that. "Well, um, Val, I'm having a little Team Phantom meeting at the Nasty Burger for lunch. I know it's on short notice, but I was wondering if you'd like to—"

"I'd love to come." Valerie interrupted. "What I mean is…I'm not doing anything. So I'll see you there at…"

"Eleven." Danny smiled broadly.

Valerie could tell. She smiled too. "See you in twenty minutes." She said.

Danny put on a clean set of clothes and looked at himself in the mirror. "Do I look cool or what?" He asked himself as he looked in the mirror.

"It won't matter what you look like if you still smell like that. Phew!" Danielle came into the room. "When's the last time you took a shower?"

"Hey! That's the first thing I did when I got up at six!"

"What did you do _after_ the shower?"

"I did my morning exercise routine. I do it every day. That's how I'm able to fight ghosts so well."

"_So well_." Danielle mocked. "And how do you expect to stay with your girlfriend if you smell like B.O.?"

Danny looked mad. "What's your problem today?"

"You smell. Really. Bad." Danielle plugged her nose and walked out of the room.

Danny waited until she was gone and then he sniffed himself. Danielle was right. But Danny didn't have time to take a shower. If he did, he knew he'd end up being late to the lunch gathering that _he_ set up.

"Take a shower!" Danielle laughed and she dumped an entire water bottle over Danny's head. He was soaked from head to toe. This made Danielle laugh harder.

Danielle expected a reaction from him, but instead he just stared at her and waited for her to stop cackling. "You're so lucky that I'm way more mature than you." Danny was proud of how calm that came out.

Danielle just walked out of the room. "You're no fun." She grumbled.

Now Danny knew he had to take a shower. Oh well, he was wet anyways. He took a quick scrub and was out in exactly twenty minutes. "If I hurry up, I can make it." Danny said. He had a habit of using his flight as transportation, especially when it was too cold to walk. Danny Phantom flew to the Nasty Burger with Dani Phantom behind him.

Danny and Dani hid behind the Nasty Burger and changed back to human form. Then, Danny noticed Valerie walking up to the front doors. Danny sighed. Wow, she really did come!

Danny marched right into the Nasty Burger and waved Valerie over before she could take a seat. That's when Danny noticed that his friends had not arrived yet. So he, Danielle, and Valerie sat down at a large table…alone.

Danielle decided she would text some of her own friends while she waited for the rest of the team to show up.

"Are they coming?" Valerie asked Danny.

Danny was hoping she wouldn't think this was a setup to win her back. "Of course, they'll all be here eventually. Heh." Danny said awkwardly.

There was a majorly awkward silence as the two of them just sat there and waited. Danny was hoping someone would show up now.

The door to the Nasty Burger opened and a skinny goth girl entered. "Whew!" Danny said nervously.

Sam sat down next to Danny. She looked at Valerie. Danielle put her phone away. "Well this ought to be interesting." Danielle said to herself.

"Danny invited me to your team meeting." Valerie explained.

Unfortunately, Sam made things all the more awkward between the three of them. Not a word was spoken until Tucker arrived.

"Hey! How was Christmas, everyone?" Tucker said cheerfully. He took the empty seat next to Danielle.

"It snowed in the ghost zone." Danielle said with a twinkle in her eye.

"Midnight brought Cecelia back." Danny said happily.

"I learned that there's such a thing as second chances." Valerie looked at Danny and he smiled at her.

"How was your holiday, Sam?" Tucker asked her. Everyone else followed his gaze and looked at Sam.

Sam felt the chain to the necklace Danny had given her. It was tucked away under her shirt so nobody could see it. "Oh my parents made me wear that lame pink sweater, so yeah, I was miserable." Sam said. She wanted to cover up what was making her all bubbly inside. Sam was never bubbly, so she didn't know how to handle this feeling. It had to be coming from Danny. There was just something magical about him going around the world granting everybody's perfect Christmas wish.

The doors opened again, and this time it was Garth and Cecelia who stepped inside. They walked over to the table. Danny wondered how Valerie would react to Cecelia.

"Oh hey, Valerie, I didn't know you were coming." Cecelia gave her friend a hug.

"Hi Cecelia." Valerie hugged her back. "I'm so sorry for what happened to the lab your dad worked at. That was such a freak accident! I'm glad nobody was inside." Valerie said to her friend.

"…Yeah." Cecelia agreed even though Valerie didn't know what had actually happened. Cecelia turned to Garth. "Thanks for driving me." she said.

"Oh don't mention it, sis. Now, let's eat! I'm starved!" Garth said. The seven of them walked up to the counter and placed their orders. Then they went back to their seats and waited for their food. Once their food came, they ate up. It was pleasant. Small talk went around the table and it was almost as if they were just another group of random teenagers sitting at a local hangout.

The group of seven were just about finished eating when Danny's ghost sense went off. Immediately, everybody's happy faces got serious and quiet. Valerie took another bite out of her food and the six others looked at her.

"What?" She asked.

"Danny's ghost sense went off." Tucker explained to Valerie. "That means there's a ghost about." He said in a low whisper.

Valerie shrugged. "Well, I didn't know that." She said defensively.

"Citizens of Amity Park and attenders at this greasy meat-themed hangout, hand over the ghost child or else!" A booming voice sounded throughout the Nasty Burger.

"Oh poo." Danny said. He and his friends turned around to see Skulker floating near the front doors of the Nasty Burger.

Citizens screamed and tried to make their way out, but Skulker made duplicates of himself that blocked all the possible exits. The people began to panic now and a few of them fainted. In fact, there were only seven people who remained calm. And they were sitting at a table near the back, hoping to not be noticed among the crowds of wailing restauranteers.

Danny folded his head in his arms and his friends pretended to be ignoring the surrounding situation.

"You think I didn't notice you sitting right here, ghost child?" a duplicate of Skulker appeared at Danny's table. Danny popped his head up and pretended to be all innocent. "I traced you here, didn't I?"

"And just how did you do that?" Sam asked.

"I got a few upgrades." Skulker said proudly. "Now, surrender yourselves before I have to resort to other measures of persuasion."

"No." Danny said in calm protest.

"What?" Skulker exclaimed in confusion and pointed to his duplicates. "But I have you outnumbered!" Skulker whined.

Danny stood up on the table and prepared to change into his ghostly half.

"WAIT!" Tucker screamed. He pulled out his PDA and typed in a command that released a brilliant flash of light, temporarily blinding the eyes that were looking in that direction. In that short few seconds of time, Danny transformed into Danny Phantom and glared at Skulker.

"Well, you have great timing. I'll give you that. But you do not dare challenge me after I've had my upgrades!" Skulker yelled at Danny.

"Try me." Danny said. His hands glowed with green ectoplasmic fury, reflecting his thoughts toward Skulker. Danny blasted Skulker hard—and hit him in the place where his suit upgrades take place. But Danny was taken aback when it appeared to have no effect on Skulker.


	29. Chapter 27: All Electric

**Review the chapter please! :D**

**Chapter 27: All Electric**

Skulker only laughed. It was his turn to hit Danny with a weapon of his own. The jolt from Skulker's suit sent Danny flying into a wall. He groaned with pain. Skulker grinned and prepared a shot to tranquilize Danny so he wouldn't resist being kidnapped.

"Hold it right there." A ghost girl appeared and Skulker was taken by surprise. "You leave my brother alone." She commanded.

"Who are you?" Skulker asked surprised.

Danielle's hands glowed just like Danny's. Danielle grinned mischievously. "Do ya really need to know? I'm going to kick your butt anyway!" Danielle fired ectoblast after ectoblast at Skulker. She then launched a plasmablast when he was down. She showed good shield skills when he attacked her.

As Skulker was lying on the ground, his suit was smoking. Danielle's hands smoked too. "Had enough yet?" she asked him.

"You're forgetting something." He said. That duplicate of Skulker disappeared and another one took its place.

Danielle sighed with annoyance. She looked back at the table where Sam, Tucker, Garth, Cecelia and Valerie were just sitting there. "Do something, guys!" she said to them as she began to fight off this this new Skulker duplicate.

Sam and Tucker stood up and Tucker pulled out the Fenton thermos and his PDA. Two Skulker duplicates approached and confiscated anything that could be used against them. They crushed the PDA.

"Hey!" Tucker said angrily.

"Sit back down!" one of the Skulkers commanded to the teens.

As one Skulker fought Danielle—and eventually caught her in an unbreakable headlock, another Skulker swung Danny over his shoulder, and two Skulkers guarded the table where Sam, Tucker, Cecelia, Valerie and Garth sat, the rest of the Skulkers tied up the restaurant patrons in a sort of hostage situation. The citizens and the restaurant staff were now blindfolded and bound with some anti-ghost rope.

"Okay, now this is bad." Tucker said.

"Does this happen often?" Cecelia asked.

Sam and Tucker nodded, and then shook their heads in a "no".

Valerie let everyone else learn her mood. "I'm not just going to sit here while that ghost destroys everything!" she stood on the table and made her suit appear. At top speed, she prepared to ram into a Skulker and kick her way to beating him. However, when she kicked him, she discovered that metal really hurts. "Ow!" she said in pain. Her right arm was instantly bruised. She backed away slowly as the angry Skulker approached her. She put her left hand over her face and closed her eyes. But there came no attack.

Instead, there was a gigantic dragon crushing Skulkers one by one. Valerie gazed upon the height of the great brown dragon who was now squished inside the confines of the greasy—and crowded—Nasty Burger. Valerie got a little light headed and she closed her eyes. Cecelia was there to catch Valerie and then she set her down on a booth. Valerie had fainted.

Meanwhile, Sam and Tucker were attempting to confuse the single Skulker that was holding the Fenton thermos.

Sam and Tucker stood on either side of Skulker. Skulker had to keep looking back and forth to try to figure out which one was going to strike next. The two friends both screamed, "Chaaarrrge!" at the same time and jumped on Skulker. Being the slow-witted ghost that Skulker is, he was knocked to the ground and Tucker took back the thermos. He sucked Skulker into it. Sam and Tucker cheered in victory.

Garth picked up a Skulker and started pressing buttons on the suit until the bondages on the citizens disappeared. "Get out of here!" Garth told them and they all obeyed. Then Garth crushed the Skulker he was holding. Garth turned back to human form when he saw that only two Skulkers remained.

Tucker couldn't use the thermos on the Skulkers that were holding Danny and Danielle because then they'd get trapped in the thermos as well. Tucker put the thermos away. He looked at his friends to see if they had any ideas.

The two remaining Skulkers chuckled.

Garth had an idea. He pushed Cecelia forward though she was resisting. She was scared. "What are you doing?" She asked Garth with fear.

Garth did not say a word but pointed to his hands and made a zapping sound.

Cecelia got the hint. She closed her eyes and concentrated on her hands. Eventually, the glowing electricity appeared in her hands. She opened her eyes and looked at each of the Skulkers. They laughed at her. The Skulker that was holding Danny also grabbed Cecelia by the arm.

Skulker stiffened as Cecelia's electrical energy belted through his suit like a conductor. His suit was fried, and he had no choice but to eject himself from it. Danny fell to the ground and he was free. He easily picked up the pint-sized Skulker and put him into the thermos. "I will be avenged!" shouted the tiny villain. The other Skulker, which was a duplicate, disappeared and Danielle was thus released.

The six friends cheered and counted it a win. "Hooray for Team Phantom!" Sam said.

And then they remembered about Valerie. "Should we tell her about my secret?" Garth asked the group.

"I don't think it's wise." Sam said.

"She'll probably overload." Cecelia said.

"She might feel that you've been lying to her." Tucker said.

"She might want to shoot you." Danielle said. "We should remove her ammo before you say anything because we've all seen how trigger happy she can be."

They all looked at Danny for the final ruling. "I actually think it would be best to tell her. That is, if we decide to make her a permanent member of Team Phantom. In which case, I'll need you all to vote."

"I say yes because she's an excellent ghost hunter and tracker, plus she has the suit which holds information like a computer. And with the suit, she can also fly and be intangible just like a ghost." Cecelia said.

"I'll agree to that." Garth said. "So that's a yes from me."

"I think she could be quite a valuable member." Danielle said.

"I'm going to have to say no." Sam said. She was prepared to argue her case. "Well, she has an advantage: the suit. And once she learns Garth was hiding a secret too, she'll feel betrayed and angry and might end up hating us all. It might be too much for her." Sam crossed her arms and looked at Danny because she was waiting for him to agree with her.

"I'm willing to take that risk." Danny said. "So you're overruled."

Sam rolled her eyes.

Everybody was now waiting for Tucker to make up his mind. "Since I haven't got a reason to say no, I'll say yes."

Danny smiled proudly. "Let's wake her up."

Danielle brought over a pitcher of water. Garth and Tucker tipped Valerie upright. Cecelia took Valerie's weapons off the suit.

Sam pulled Danny aside. "Danny, I hope you're not letting your feelings towards her affect your judgment on whether or not she would be a positive asset to the team." She whispered.

Danny looked down. He realized she was right about why he was so eager to get Valerie involved in the team. But Danny's childish pride got in the way of him admitting it out loud. He looked at Sam. "I hope you're not letting your jealousy get in the way of _your_ judgment."

Now it was Sam's turn to be corrected. She looked down. She knew Danny was right about that.

"Sam, you can't honestly tell me that Valerie won't be able to help us." Danny said.

Sam agreed to that. "I'm also saying that she might not be as good as you're hoping she will be."

"And I'll be watching out for that. I'll try not to be so biased if you try to stop being so jealous."

"Okay."

They both looked over where their friends were walking up Valerie in the middle of the now deserted restaurant. They walked over to her.

"Heeey, why am I all wet?" Valerie asked angrily as she tried to mop up the cold water on her face with a napkin.

"Valerie, we have something to show you." Danny spoke for the team.

"What is it? A towel?"

"No. Watch Garth." Danielle said.

Garth's eyes changed from normal to the eyes of a creature not human. He had a forked tongue and he increased in size. A dragon stood where Garth was.

Valerie's eyes widened as she studied the creature. She wanted to gasp or scream but she was too shocked to even so much as open her mouth. She felt the blood rush to her head—as if she were going to faint again. She held her forehead with one hand and held onto the table with the other hand to steady herself.

The silence was making Sam impatient and restless. "Garth is half-dragon ghost." She pointed out the obvious.

Garth changed back to human form quickly. "Valerie are you all right?" He reached to help her but she smacked his hand away.

Valerie lowered her eyebrows. "Are there any other surprises I should know about?" She asked them grimly.

"No not really." Danielle said calmly.

"We wanted you to know everything because we want you to be a full-fledged member of our team." Danny said.

Valerie looked down and her firey mood was dissipating. She no longer felt faint. She looked up at Danny standing in front of her all strong and handsome as always. "Well…why?" She asked Danny softly.

Danny smiled down at her and he helped her stand up. "Because you're brave and strong and you're good with weapons and you're and excellent ghost hunter and you have great aim. Need I go on?"

Valerie smiled. She frowned again when she thought about it all in her mind.

"Don't you want to be a part of all this?" Danny asked her.

Valerie looked at all of their faces and she didn't want to disappoint them, especially not Danny or Cecelia. "I…" Valerie searched deep inside her mind but she couldn't find the answer. She wanted more than anything to be with Danny and also help destroy evil ghosts, but she still couldn't merge the two together in her mind. She just couldn't see it. She didn't want to lie to them, and she knew they were all waiting on her answer. "I'll need some time to think about it." She told them all. "For now, I'll just be going home. Catch ya later." She collected her things and walked out of the Nasty Burger.

Danny was disappointed. He wanted so badly for her to say yes. "I guess I miscalculated." Danny said quietly.

They all went back to their homes.

The next morning, Danny woke up and his sister Jazz was making breakfast for the family.

"Good morning Daniel." Jazz looked over her shoulder to Danny while she was still frying the bacon and eggs.

"Good morning, Jasmine." Sleepy Danny pulled up a seat at the table and he got a good look at his nineteen-year-old sister. She looked so professional with those new rectangular glasses she had. And her short haircut made her look even older than just a college girl.

"Breakfast is ready!" Jazz called as she turned off the stove. She separated everything into five neat little plates of food.

Jack and Maddie came up from the basement and pulled up seats at the family table. Danielle, who had been playing video games in the living room, groaned unpleasantly because she knew she'd have to pause the game long enough to consume a well-balanced breakfast. She took a seat next to Jazz.

Jazz served the meal and Jack Fenton immediately dug in like always. Jazz ate her food at a petite and ladylike pace. Danielle wolfed it all down in three bites and then excused herself from the table and went back to the living room.

There came a loud bangling sound from the basement.

"Oh, that must be those ghost chickens again." Maddie stood up and picked up her plate. "They must have gotten out again."

Jack followed his wife down to the basement and then Jack came up long enough to throw on a plateful of seconds. Then he went back down. Danny and Jazz could hear their parents yelling unpleasant things at the ghost downstairs.

When Danny was done eating, he looked at his sister Jazz and smiled, "There's nothing like a normal Fenton family breakfast, right?"

Jazz laughed in agreement. "I'm glad this happened _after_ all of the creepy relatives went back home."

Danny stood up to put his plate in the sink. "Well, there's one creepy relative still here." Danny teased.

"Hey!" Jazz smacked him upside the head. "I'll have you know that I'm going to be a college professor one day!"

"And I'm the leader of my own super-team. Beat that!" Danny said to her.

She knew he was only joking, which was why she laughed back. "I miss Team Phantom." She confessed.


	30. Chapter 28: Jazz

**Chapter 28: Jazz**

"Well maybe you should come along with us some time. If you'd attend a meeting once in a while, you'd know we just got a few new members and we're going to be attending the coronation of the new Prince of the medieval dragon realm."

"Oh that's nice. You make it sound like an exclusive club. But I'm sorry to say I've been too busy with homework. If I want to have a good shot at my choice career, I'll have to work every chance I get."

"Let me know if you change your mind." Danny said as he walked away. He went upstairs to play some video games on his computer. He and Sam and Tucker loved playing the game "Doomed". Danny was pleased to find that they were already signed on and playing.

Downstairs, Danielle finished the game she was playing just in time to answer the doorbell. "Cecelia! You're here!" Danielle opened the door for her friend.

"Are you ready to do a mani-pedi makeover?" Cecelia asked excitedly.

"Yes, but first I want to introduce you to my older sister Jazz she's also part of Team Phantom and so she knows everything." Danielle pulled Cecelia over to the kitchen table where Jazz was typing on her laptop. Jazz looked up.

"Jazz this is Cecelia. She has a cool electrical power. She's one of the new team members that Danny was telling you about." Danielle explained.

"Hello." Jazz said, and then went back to whatever college paper she had been typing.

Cecelia and Danielle went into the living room where Danielle had her nail polishes sitting out on a tray.

"You have a lot." Cecelia made a statement.

"Mm-hmm!" Danielle acknowledged with pride. "What color do you want? Or do you want me to pick one for you?"

"Surprise me." Cecelia said.

The two girls sat down and Danielle painted Cecelia's nails crimson red. Then Cecelia painted Danielle's nails aquamarine. While waiting for their nails to dry, they started talking about really girly things. Cecelia learned that Danielle did in fact have feelings for her brother's best friend, Tucker.

Cecelia confessed to Danielle that she didn't have a crush on a guy right now, but she was eager to go on a date. The two girls shared many laughs and made many jokes about guys that they've met in the past.

"Ya know, Cecelia, I'm really glad I met you. Now I have someone to talk to about those really girly things." Danielle said.

"But what about Sam and Jazz? Or Valerie?"

"Jazz is, well," Danielle took a glance at her sister, "She's really nerdy and not very girly. I'm not saying that's a bad thing, I'm just saying that we've never had a girl chat. And Sam, think about that. She too boyish and dark. I need a cheerful friend like you. And Valerie…she kinda scares me. Besides I don't know her too well. But you, Cecelia, are a total sweetie."

"Aw! Thank you!"

"And I'm saying that because when my brother first started talking about you, I was kind of afraid of you. But now I see that you're totally girly."

"Thanks. You're definitely a sweetheart." Cecelia said. "You're kinda like family to me."

And then from there, the girls began talking about their own families and then they started talking about Danny. Danielle shared some pretty embarrassing things about Danny. And just then, Danny came down the stairs.

"Hey Jazz, is there any milk in the fridge?" Danny asked her. He didn't even give her a chance to answer before he started drinking out of the carton. And then he must have tilted it too much because milk spilled all over his shirt. "Aw poo." He said as he searched the counter for a napkin to soak it up.

Over in the living room, Cecelia and Danielle were laughing and Cecelia was taking pictures with her cell phone.

"Cecelia—what?" Danny finally noticed she was here.

That was the final blow that sent the girls literally ROFLing. Danny fixed his shirt and then walked over to them he just stared at them.

"What are you doing here?" Danny asked Cecelia.

Cecelia and Danielle stopped laughing and stood to their feet. "We were just having some girl time." Cecelia began to laugh again. "And Danielle told me some pretty funny stories about you."

Danny smirked. "Oh did she? Because if you wait a minute, I can tell you some really funny things about _her_."

Danielle's face reverted into a frown. "No way!" She protested.

"I can and I will." Danny picked his little sister up by the waist. She squirmed to try and break free of him, but it was obvious that she was no physical match for him. "Excuse me for a moment." Danny said to Cecelia. Danielle twisted and moved all the way up the stairs as Danny carried her. To end it, he shoved her into his bedroom and then held the door shut. Danielle banged on the door, demanding to be free.

Danny tied a string around the knob of Danielle's bedroom door and tied the other end of the string to the room across the hall, making it impossible for Danielle to open her bedroom door. Danny walked back downstairs to Cecelia. "Now let's have a little chat." He tried to be serious, but he couldn't hold back a laugh after he did all of that to Danielle.

Cecelia and Danny sat down on the couch. "So…what did she tell you?" Danny asked. He wasn't even going to beat around the bush because this was serious business. He had to know what kind of horrible lies his sister was spreading. Danny didn't want a girl as pretty as Cecelia knowing anything embarrassing about him. He definitely wanted her to see him in a positive light.

Cecelia repeated several embarrassing stories about Danny when he was fifteen and dating Sam Manson. Danny sat there, awkwardly waiting for the end. And then he told Cecelia many embarrassing stories about Danielle. This was a good bonding time for them. Cecelia was just beginning to realize how easy he was to talk to, and how much she enjoyed the sound of his voice.

Meanwhile, over at the dining room table, Jazz couldn't resist cracking up every so often. She was beginning to form her own ideas about Danny and Cecelia's friendship. Jazz made a prediction that someday very soon, Danny and Cecelia were going to be dating, because Cecelia was that attractive type of girl that the guys like to hang around. Jazz knew that if Danny didn't already want a girlfriend like Cecelia, he would soon.

Later, after Cecelia had left, Danny was just itching to talk to Valerie. He decided to give her a call. "Hey, Val, I was wondering if you'd want to come to the dragon thing on December 31st? And have you decided to join the team? Please call back, thank you." Danny hung up. The most he got was an answering machine. Danny always felt weird when talking to an answering machine.

Danny didn't hear from Valerie until late into the next day: December 28. When he heard her voice, he perked up from his usual sleepy mood.

"Hey Danny, I've been thinking about things…"

"Good." Danny could only hope for the best.

"And I've decided I don't want to do the dragon thing. I don't want to have anything to do with dragons."

"…Okay…"

"And I don't think I want to be a part of your Team Phantom right now. I'm just not feeling the whole "teamwork thing". I'd hate to be so cliché, but I work alone. And I really appreciate the ring, I, I just don't think a relationship is best for me right now. I've got a lot to deal with—grades, jobs, college plans…"

Danny's heart dropped just as rapidly as his spirits. His eyes drooped and he lost his smile. He almost wanted to cry.

When Valerie didn't hear him say anything back, she was worried she had made him mad. "I'm sorry. I hope this doesn't ruin things between us."

"No, it won't." Danny said. He tried his best to suppress his true mood.

Valerie hesitated a moment. She realized there was nothing left to say. "Goodbye Danny." And with that, they both hung up.

Danny let his body collapse onto his bed. He lay there for about ten minutes just staring at the ceiling as he pondered on things. "Was it because I was too pushy? Am I a bad leader?" Danny gasped. "Am I too bossy? Did I seem desperate? I'm so lost." Danny decided that this was more of girl trouble than it was about the team. Danny needed some good hard advice from someone he could trust. Someone who knew Valerie well. Garth.

Danny dialed up Garth.

"Hello?" Garth and Danny didn't usually talk on the phone a lot.

"You know Valerie, right?"

"Yes of course I know her."

"And do you think she has any reason to hate me?"

"You've gotta be kidding me, right?"

"No, really. Does she? Because she just told me she didn't want to be a part of the team and I'm trying to figure out why."

"Dude, she really likes you. But she's not into the whole "ghosts are friendly" sort of thing. Maybe it's just a little overwhelming. Give her some space for now and then talk to her when you guys go back to school. In the meantime, I'm sure you'll be able to find a girl that'll get Valerie off your mind."

"You really think so?"

"No. You're at the bottom of the social food chain. It's not like there's a way to instantly rise to the top. Anyways, I've gotta go. I've got three days before I've gotta challenge Lyon."

"Bye." Danny said. As he sat on his bed, a smile slowly formed on his mouth. "Hmm, rise to the top of the social food chain." He changed into Danny phantom and flew out of his bedroom.

He knew where he wanted to go; he just didn't know the quickest way to get there. He'd only been here about four times in his life. It was Paulina's house. Danny knocked at the door and out came Paulina in her Daisy Dukes and tank top. She gasped in delight when she saw the ghost boy—her hero—standing there in front of her.

"Hi. I was wondering if you…" Danny rubbed the back of his neck nervously, "If you'd like to go out with me?"

Paulina swooned. "Yes! Yes, yes, yes, yes!" She pulled out her cell phone. "But hang on a second, ok?" Paulina called somebody. "Dash, I'm going to have to dump you." Danny could hear Dash Baxter freaking out on the other line. Paulina hung up on the middle of his little rant. She smiled adoringly at Danny Phantom. "Carry me away, ghost boy!" She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him. And then she jumped into his arms.

"Uh, don't you want to change into something more winter-appropriate?" Danny asked.

"No." She said simply.

"Well okay then." He carried her as they flew and she enjoyed it very much.

And then they took a stroll through Amity Park holding hands and Paulina told him why she liked him so much and she talked about all the times he rescued her and then she thanked him.

Danny told her that he always thought she was attractive and then she began to ask him why he never dated her. He told her it was complicated. She was glad to be with him now. And then he flew her back home and she kissed him again.

On Danny's flight out of the area with large homes, he caught the glimpse of a poorer section of town—that was where Valerie lived.

Today is December 29. Some ghosts were caught breaking into a local jewelry store and Danny had to stop it. Yes, he fought them and got them right where he wanted, but then he realized he didn't have the Fenton thermos with him. "Oh shoot! I should have called Tucker…" And then the ghosts got away.

Later in the day, Danny was very bored. Danielle was asleep and Jazz was reading. Mom and dad were going out for dinner.

At night fall, Danny flew over to Axion labs to do his shift on guard duty. Damon Gray welcomed Danny.

"Where is Valerie?" Danny asked.

"Oh she wasn't feeling well." Damon said regretfully. He put on his coat and tossed a pair of keys to Danny. "I'll see you tomorrow." And then Damon left.

It was now just Danny all alone in the large building of Axion labs. Danny was happy that Damon trusted him enough to let him be the only security on duty. Danny circled around the building. It was actually a really boring job. Now that Danny had been officially appointed as a guard, no ghost had come to attack.

Danny was unpleasantly surprised when he spied a blond boy roaming the halls. "Why didn't my ghost sense go off?" Danny wondered in his mind.

"That's because I'm not a ghost." The blond boy said aloud and he approached Danny slowly.

"I didn't say anything."

"I know." The boy smiled. "I'm a psychic. I can sort of hear your thoughts."

"Well, whoever you are, you don't belong here."

"Duh! But since I'm here anyways, I'm going to ask you to come with me."

"And I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave." Danny's hands glowed green with his power.


	31. Chapter 29: It Gets to Everybody

**Chapter 29: It Gets To Everybody**

"And _I'm_ afraid," The boy pulled out a pair of glowing blue handcuffs, "You don't have any choice." The boy forced the cuffs onto Danny's hands. The binding dug into his skin and caused him to bruise.

Danny screamed and he changed back to Danny Fenton right before he passed out.

The blond boy dragged Danny until they were both outside of Axion labs. Then, three vultures came out of the shadows. One vulture carried the blond boy and another vulture picked up Danny. Together, they flew off into someplace Danny had never been.

The next morning—December 30—when Damon checked into the lab, he found that Danny was gone, and so were the master keys. "Where…?" Damon searched around his office in panic. "Did he steal the keys? Where is he?" Damon went over to the secretary's office and asked for Danny Phantom to report to Damon immediately. But it appeared that there was no Danny Phantom in the building. This left Damon bewildered.

Sam and Tucker were sitting at the Nasty Burger waiting for Danny to have lunch with them.

"Where is he?" Sam asked impatiently.

Tucker tried calling Danny's cell phone for the seventh time. "No answer. Maybe he just overslept." Tucker tried to shrug it off like it was nothing.

"Or maybe he forgot about us." Sam said, a bitter memory forming in her mind.

"Of course he didn't, Sam. Well, even if we don't see Danny today, we know we'll see him tomorrow." Tucker always tried to think positively, but he knew he couldn't hide that he was worried a bit.

"Oh December 31st is tomorrow already?" asked Sam who was caught off-guard. She snapped herself back to reality, remembering Garth's big day of pressure and knowing he needed comfort.

"Yeah."

"Maybe tonight I'll talk to Garth on the phone just to see how he's doing." Sam theorized.

"I'll warn you that he's pretty busy. Tomorrow, all the pressure will be on him. If he fails—"

"I know, I know, Lyon will win." Sam sighed deeply, brushing the bangs out of her eyes. "But even if Garth wins, won't he have to stay in the kingdom?"

"Gee, Sam, I never thought of that." Tucker said. He and Sam placed their food orders. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't scared about tomorrow. What do you think it'll be like?"

"Oh, ya know, dragons and stuff. And everything will look medieval. It'll be like a renaissance festival." Sam imagined it in her mind.

Garth had been training for this moment for months. Even know, he was doing some form of heavy exercise up in his bedroom. He didn't even have time to train Cecelia anymore but she was okay with that. He had taught her enough so that she could now train herself.

Garth was so beefed up now that he wondered if anyone would recognize him. Garth wasn't as nervous as he thought he'd be. But he was still worried. However, spending time with his friends helped him to learn how to cope with the troubles in his life. He was slowly figuring out how to trust people and to learn from them. Garth had truly matured more in the last few months than ever before in his lifetime.

So tomorrow wouldn't bring a lot of change, Garth thought.

Valerie was doing her job as the Nasty Burger mascot. She hated that suit and the smell that it had. It was the smell of her own sweat. The sweat dripped from her back and her long thick hair only made it worse. She despised this job.

The job required her to be silent and just stand around and wave. It left her to the silence of her own mind. While on the outside, she waved and pretended to be happy, on the inside she was feeling like she let Danny down.

After her job was over, she went over to Danny Fenton's home. Danny's sister, Jazz answered the door. "Is Danny home?" Valerie asked.

"No. He's spending a few nights at his uncle's house." Jazz informed Valerie.

"Oh. He didn't tell me about that."

"Well, ya know, apparently we have an uncle who's never met Danny and he just called a few minutes ago to say that Danny would be staying with him."

"When will he be back?" Valerie asked.

Jazz shrugged and then she closed the door.

Valerie went home, feeling down that she couldn't make it up to Danny. Yet. But once he was back, she was going to tell him first thing. There would be nothing stopping her.

It was early in the morning on December 31st. The sun shined through the opaque clouds and all appeared as though it would turn out to be a good day. Tucker decided to begin the day with an optimistic mood. He drove Sam over to the Fentons' house and Danielle answered the door.

"We're ready to go." Tucker said.

"I'll drive the Specter Speeder." Sam said.

"Whoa, whoa, wait, slow down. You guys are the first one here. We still have to wait for my brother, Cecelia and the Guest of Honor." Danielle informed them.

The three of them sat down on the couch. "Where are your parents?" Tucker asked Danielle.

There was a loud BANG from downstairs.

"Do you really have to ask?" Danielle said flatly.

"Ghooooossst!" The three friends could hear Jack and Maddie's muffled voices.

"Right." Tucker felt a little dumb.

Cecelia and Garth were the next to arrive.

"Whoa! You look…strong!" Sam said when she saw Garth.

"That's totally awesome, dude!" Tucker put his hand in the air and waited for a high-five from Garth.

Garth rolled his eyes.

"So where's Danny?" Cecelia asked.

They all came over with the somber realization that Danny was most definitely not present. "Uncle called and said that Danny would be staying with him." Danielle said. "I heard the phone call myself. It's still on the answering machine. But I thought for sure Danny would be back today."

"Which uncle?" Sam asked.

Danielle shrugged an "I don't know".

"Hmm." Cecelia approached the phone. "This isn't right. Play that call back."

Danielle obeyed.

"_Hello. I'm a cousin third-removed of Danny's, but he calls me Uncle. I've never gotten to meet Danny, and we just kinda ran into each other when he was walking home from work. So, uh, Danny will be spending the next few nights with me and we'll be catching up and doing all sorts of manly activities."_

"Something's wrong." Sam insisted. "Danny _never_ walks anywhere in the winter. He always flies."

"Yeah. He told me about that. And this is all kind of weird…" Cecelia pulled all of her long brown hair to one side and thought really hard about the situation. "This guy doesn't sound very confident. You can tell by the way he's speaking."

"Yeah." Tucker said thoughtfully.

"And isn't it suspicious that he didn't leave his name?" Danielle pointed out.

"Wait a minute, I know that voice!" Tucker exclaimed.

"Me too!" Cecelia said.

"It's that blond kid who attacked Axion labs that night when Cecelia and I were on duty!" Garth put the pieces together.

"That's his voice." Tucker agreed.

"And Danny was at Axion labs last night." Danielle said.

"Oh no." Sam said worriedly.

"Sam, I'm sure Danny can handle himself. Right?" Cecelia hoped to get reassurance from the rest of her friends, but none of them seemed to agree. Tucker made a face. "Okay then, I guess it's time to worry."

"You know what this means—we'll have to split up." Danielle announced. Sam, you and Garth go watch to the medieval realm and Cecelia, Tucker and I will go look for Danny."

"Wait a second. Who gets the Specter Speeder?" Sam asked.

"Rock paper scissors?" Cecelia suggested.

Danielle and Sam held out their hands. "Rock! Paper! Scissors!" the first time, Sam won, and the last two times Danielle won.

"You guys aren't going anywhere until you distract mom and dad." Jazz shouted from where she was sitting in the living room.

"Are you eavesdropping?" Danielle asked with surprise.

Jazz smiled slightly. "No. I'm being a good sister." Jazz said proudly. "But don't worry: I'll distract them." Jazz stood up and went into the kitchen and started throwing metal pans up the staircase at just the angle they would fall down at. "Mom! Dad! You better come quick! There's a _ghost_ upstairs!" Jazz wailed in a dramatic tone.

"Ghost? Where?" Jack and Maddie jotted up both staircases.

Immediately, Danielle, Cecelia, Tucker, Sam, and Garth hopped down to the basement. Danielle, Tucker and Cecelia got into the Specter Speeder and Garth turned into a dragon and he carried Sam through the ghost portal.

Danielle phased the Speeder through the house and kept it invisible until they were far away from their street.

Cecelia was holding onto the cushions of the Speeder's seat.

"Welcome to the Specter Speeder, Cecelia!" Tucker said jokingly. With ease, he turned on the machine, hoping the girls would be impressed at the skill.

Cecelia smiled. "This is so cool."

Tucker laughed.

"Yeah, the feeling wears off after you've been in this junk heap as many times as I have." Danielle said jokingly. She adjusted the seat to a more comfortable position.

"How exactly are we going to find Danny?" Tucker asked Danielle.

"You know more about how to operate this thing than I do, Tucker! And the Speeder has so many effects and buttons that have yet to be discovered." Danielle started flipping switches and pressing buttons.

"What are you doing? Are you installing some high-speed instantaneous ghost-tracker thingy?" Tucker asked.

"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm just pressing buttons. Yeesh…"

"This'll be…_fun_." Cecelia said with a stifled giggle.

It's not every day that you see a ghost dragon carrying a goth girl to a mysterious medieval realm of ghosts.

"Maybe we'll get lucky and the place won't have so many ghosts surrounding it." Sam said. She was being optimistic, which was so unlike her, but she could see that Garth was worried and she wanted very much to calm him down. She'd been trying the whole way to make him smile, but he stubbornly wore that frown. "This place is usually hopping with bad guys."

Not too far ahead was the medieval realm. And oh boy, was it packed with ghosts! Garth set Sam down on her feet, right at the outskirts of the floating island that held Aragon's castle. Sam stayed close to Garth and she cautiously scanned the area. They filed into the castle and blended in with the surrounding population, which consisted of dragons, ghosts, and the occasional human.

The main foyer was set up sort of like a banquet hall. At the other side of this room, there were two large pairs of doors. Garth noted that these doors were just the perfect size for a dragon to fit through easily. Garth twisted the knob. The door opened with a soft creak. Sam and Garth peeked through.

These doors led to an outside arena whose boundaries were composed of some kind of shield. This was probably where the battle was going to take place.

"Garth, you're here!" Aragon was standing in the center of the arena when he noticed Garth spying.

Sam gasped as she heard the thudding footsteps of Prince Aragon in dragon form. Garth pushed Sam away from the door as he slipped through and locked it from the side of the arena. Garth couldn't risk Aragon knowing that Sam was here. There was no telling what he would do if he found out.

Garth folded his arms and looked sternly at his enemy.

Aragon studied Garth with flaming, heartless, judging eyes. "I'll have to admit you look stronger than I expected." Aragon said finally. "But come to think of it, I didn't really expect much anyways."

Garth growled.

"Save that energy for your competitor." Aragon pointed to the center of the arena where Lyon was standing and waving. Aragon turned back to Garth. "And save your control for when you lose."

Garth growled louder.

Aragon chuckled and then went back into the foyer to tell his guests to come into the arena because the battle was about to begin.

Garth faced his opponent, Lyon, an orange dragon ghost with a disgustingly evil demeanor. Lyon's fire was blue, which meant it was hotter than Garth's and it was more powerful too. Garth wasn't worried. Garth had never planned to physically outmatch Lyon, but to win with wits.

All the ghost guests filed into the arena neatly but not quietly. "As you all may or may not know, my heir, Prince Lyon, is going to fight a challenger named Garth. If Garth wins, he will become our next ruler." Aragon said over a loudspeaker. The crowd cheered. "But if _Lyon_ wins, not only does he get to rule my kingdom, but Garth will go to prison because of the illegality regarding challengers." The crowd roared all the more louder.

Garth decided that this audience was far more interested in action than justice.

"Let the battle begin!" Aragon announced.

Garth was hoping that his opponent would give him a few moments to think through his plan, but no, Lyon just attacked Garth right out of the blue. With blue fire. Lyon jumped on Garth and knocked him to the ground. Garth tried to breathe fire onto Lyon, but Lyon's tail was already wrapped around Garth's neck and choking off his breathing. "Hey I invented that!" Garth managed to choke out.

The audience laughed.

Garth remembered the day that he told Aragon he wanted to fight Lyon. That's when Garth had used this move on Aragon. And if big strong Aragon couldn't get out of it, there was absolutely no way Garth would be able to get out of it.


	32. Chapter 30: The Divergent

**Big chapter up in here! tell meh what you think ^_^**

**Chapter 30: The Divergent**

Lyon had the same evil smirk as Aragon. Garth looked at the audience. They were chanting, "One! Two!" Garth knew that if they got to three, the battle was over.

Garth winced, sweat rolling down his brow, nose and cheeks. His face was getting hot, and all of his muscles were strained and bruised. He used to pride himself on his endurance, but this was the final test. For a millisecond, he thought he could hold on and become the hero he knew he needed to be.

But he just wasn't ready yet. And it was burning up inside of him like a fire. Garth prepared for total humiliation.

"Threeeee!" And then the audience imitated a buzzer noise.

Aragon picked up the loudspeaker once more. "Now, wait a minute everybody. You came to see a bloody show, right?"

"YEAH!" the audience boomed in stereo.

"So get up, Garth. It's time for round two!" Aragon said with a sneer.

Lyon released Garth and they both stood to their feet. Garth wondered what on earth Aragon was doing because in truth, there was no such thing as a round two in this kind of battle. Garth knew Aragon must have something dirty up his sleeve.

Lyon pounced at Garth in an unscrupulous manner and the crowd went wild. Garth used his own fire as his line of defense, but Lyon refused to back down. Lyon even resorted to scratching Garth with his claws. Garth tried to ignore the pain, but he was disgusted with the blue blood that leaked onto his scales. Garth roared.

Lyon only growled at Garth angrily. "Give up now before you're shame increases." Lyon sneered with a devilish voice.

"Give up now before _you_ lose." Garth said proudly. He jumped onto Lyon and smashed Lyon's horns into his own horns. Then Garth clawed at Lyon's wings. Lyon moaned and roared furiously.

The crowd was pleased with the extreme violence between the two dragons.

However, Lyon bounced back impeccably quick. "You're dead, Garth!" Lyon screamed as he breathed fire onto his hands and threw fireballs at Garth.

Garth smiled confidently. He knew exactly what Lyon was about to do.

Just as Garth had predicted, Lyon prepared to ram into Garth with his horns. Lyon snorted like an angry bull. Garth, however, just stood still. Once Lyon was in close proximity, Garth grabbed his rivals by the horns and pushed the horns into the ground.

A surprised Aragon noticed his youthful nephew trapped in the ground. Reluctantly, Aragon picked up the loudspeaker. "Garth has won this round." Aragon said through his teeth. "This next and final round will determine the winner."

Garth grimaced.

In the meanwhile, Danielle, Tucker and Cecelia still searched the town for Danny. Tucker was bored, Danielle was aggravated, and Cecelia felt useless.

"Allright, we've searched the entire town for any suspicions. And so far there was no sign of the blond boy or Danny. "Does anybody have any suggestions?" Danielle asked her two friends.

"Well, if you spot some ghost vultures, they are the blond boy's minions." Cecelia remembered quickly. "They're not very bright, so it won't be too difficult to trick them."

Tucker snapped his fingers. Cecelia jumped, startled. "Vultures? Vlad! _Vlad's_ minions are vultures! That means the blond boy works for him!" Tucker figured it out.

"That's a good theory, Tucker. There's only one problem: Vlad's in ghost prison and we're not allowed to go there."

"Why don't we check Vlad's house in Wisconsin just in case?" Tucker suggested.

Cecelia agreed. "It couldn't hurt to try."

Danielle steered the vehicle. "It'll take us about forty minutes to get there." Danielle calculated in her head. Cecelia and Tucker were both impressed. "If we encounter any bad guys, I'll try my best to swerve this thing. But mind you, I haven't even had drivers' ed yet…"

"That's okay." Tucker smiled at the girls reassuringly. "There's always an emergency thermos in the back, and Cecelia would fry and bad guy that crosses us." Danielle and Cecelia smiled confidently. "Right?"

Cecelia looked at her hands. She let a ball of electricity form in her right palm and watched it cackle, crackle, and snap. "You're absolutely correct, Tucker." Cecelia said.

Just outside of Aragon's arena, Sam had her ear pressed against the door. She could hear clearly every wince, every cry of pain, and every victory. _It's so pointless the way they decide who will become the new ruler_, Sam thought. _Someone's going to get killed. I just hope it's that scumbag and not Garth. What would I do without Garth? He's faithful…and strong…and brooding and clever and serious…yep, I couldn't live without him. He's the best friend I ever had, besides, well, Danny, but, ohh…Danny. I need to get over Danny and focus on_…

A yelp came from inside the arena and Sam knew it had come from Garth. Poor unfortunate hero. _He doesn't deserve this. He deserves to be loved and well-cared for, instead of the tragic path that life had in store for him. Come on, Garth, hold on a little longer…If I had powers, I'd save him. Regardless of the cost_, Sam thought.

Sam didn't go inside the arena because she was scared of what ghosts would do to her if they saw her. She felt so helpless against a ghost's powers. In an instant, they could splatter her with ectobeams or throw her through the wall or freeze her. She felt so small. Sometimes, she wished she had powers like them.

_Gosh, Danny, Cecelia, Danielle and Garth sure are lucky,_ Sam thought.

Sam cringed when she heard Garth moaning in agony. The crowd went wild. "I have to know what's going on in there!" Sam said through clenched teeth. She pulled hard on the door but it was so large, and so heavy. Eventually she managed to slide it open just wide enough to get through. She just barely made it onto the other side before the door closed. If it had closed on her, her tiny body would have been crushed for sure.

Sam looked upward. All the ghosts in the arena were floating lightly above the ground. Sam would stand out no matter what because she could not fly. Many of the ghosts in the surrounding room were dragons. They came in various colors and sizes. They all looked so scaly and tough with their strange eyes and their wings and the two curly brown horns on top of their head.

Sam tried to slip through the crowd anonymously in the hopes of blending in. Sam pushed past attendants if she needed to. All she wanted was to see Garth. And Sam could hear from that inhuman moaning that Garth was most definitely not okay.

_He had to be okay_, Sam thought.

Sam looked over the rail that separated the attendants from the rest of the arena. Sam's jaw hung open. There were no words for the sight she beheld.

"And we have a winner!" boomed Aragon over the loudspeaker.

Danielle, Cecelia and Tucker were driving through Wisconsin. "I don't get it. This is where Vlad's mansion was. I would know. He brought me here several times back when he first created me." Danielle was puzzled. There was a little village of townhouses where Vlad's mansion should be. Danielle looked around.

"I've never seen townhouses like these before. They're all black and skinny and they're all like five floors tall and built close together." Tucker said. "Weird style, huh?"

"Maybe we should stop and ask someone for directions." Cecelia suggested softly.

"That's actually not a bad idea." Danielle took the speeder down into an alley just outside of the little town. "I'll do it. Tucker you wait here and keep Cecelia safe." Danielle started to walk away.

Tucker watched Cecelia. "Sooo…" He said, trying to sound casually aloof.

Cecelia half-smiled.

"You single?"

Cecelia chuckled awkwardly.

"That wasn't a come-on. I'm just making conversation." Said Tucker seriously.

"Sure…" Cecelia laughed.

"No, really!" Tucker argued with a smile.

"Really?"

"Really."

"Yes. I'm single. And I intend to _stay_ single."

Tucker relaxed in his seat, satisfied with that answer. He let his eyelids drop out of tiredness and put one of his feet on the steering wheel.

"Sooo…"

"So what?"

"I'm just making conversation here." Cecelia chuckled. "So, you and Danielle…

"Danielle's a good leader, isn't she?" Tucker stated.

"Totally."

"Yeah."

"But you still like her."

"…"

"Why don't you make a move?"

"Eh…I, well, I think if I, well no—"

"Tucker?"

"It's because of Danny. I just don't think he could handle his best friend dating his little sister."

"Yeah, I never understood that sort of thing. You're his best friend. Out of all the other guys in the world, he knows you best, and he knows that you could take care of her better than anyone else."

"I've known that for a while now. I'm glad you're beginning to see it."

"You're welcome."

"I miss my best friend."

"I miss him too."

"Danny! I want my best friend back!" Tucker whined loudly.

Cecelia rolled her eyes and gave him a loose hug.

Outside, Danielle walked down the street. This place almost looked too deserted to be a real town. There were only a few cars and only two or three people outside. However, those people were all too far away from Danielle for her to ask directions without being awkward.

Danielle decided she would have to ask directions at a house. She picked one with a vehicle out front and she knocked upon the sleek black door. There was no answer. She knocked again and hoped she was not being rude.

But nobody answered. Danielle began to make her way back to where she had landed the Specter Speeder.

However, somebody across the street was just exiting a house. She looked over. The boy was very unusual looking. His hair was particularly light and his clothes were strange because they were of a new design Danielle had never seen before. The boy just walked along casually, until he saw Danielle, that is. Then he began to book it down the street. Danielle knew he knew.

Danielle transformed into her other half. There was nobody looking, so why not? Then she flew after the boy. She quickly caught up to him and blocked his way.

He just looked at her with a scowl. "Who are you supposed to be?" he asked with a nonchalant tone.

"I'm Danni Phantom."

"You've got to be kidding me." the blond boy said under his breath. "What do you want?" he barked.

"I want Danny Phantom back."

The blond boy passed her with a smirk on his face. "Well then just look in a mirror." He said with heavy sarcasm.

"Wait! I know you have my brother and I know you're working for Vlad."

The blond boy turned around slowly and sighed as if Danielle was absolutely no threat to him whatsoever. "And I know that you're Danny's clone. You're a halfa just like he is."

"Just…give him back to us."

"Uh…no." He started to walk away again but Danielle followed him. "I'd love to tell you I'm sorry, but, then again I'm really not."

"If you don't tell me what you're doing to him or where he is, then I'll just have to phase into each and every one of these houses until I find him."

"You really don't want to do that." The blond boy almost laughed. "And you wouldn't like what I would tell you anyways."

"What have you done to him?" Danielle bellowed.

"Yeesh. Calm down." The boy faced her. "And just for the record, _I _didn't do anything to him; I only captured him. It's Vlad who's going to do the real work. And I know now that you and Vlad know each other."

"He created me."

"But you hate him. Why? The people in my town respect him."

"Why?" Danielle asked.

"He—I can't tell you. But I _can_ tell you that we're all growing impatient waiting for Vlad to do away with that ghastly ghost brother of yours."

"Don't you talk about Danny like that, you fiend!"

"How am I a fiend? I couldn't do anything at all to physically harm you. At best, I could read your mind and embarrass you. But all thing's considered, you have the real power."

"Why are you answering all my questions? The bad guy never answers questions unless he's got something planned!"

"Oh, I'm too bored for that. I'm just a minion. I work for Vlad. I do what I'm told. I'm not really important and I don't know Vlad's big plan."

"Take me to Danny." Danielle demanded.

"Follow me." the blond boy led the girl to one of the houses. It looked just like the rest of the houses but that must be a disguise. On the inside, instead of furniture, there was lab equipment. Lucky for the both of them, there were no lab workers inside.

"Ugh, what is this place?" Danielle asked with disgust and terror.

"What? You've never seen a lab before?" The boy took Danielle down three stair flights underground and then opened a door to another creepy lab. There in the corner was a ghost boy hanging from the ceiling. His hands and feet were encased by large, glowing metal shackles. His head hung in defeat

"Danny!" Danielle ran over to him.

"Stop right there and don't even think about setting him free!" A ghost vulture appeared out of nowhere and grabbed Danielle's arms with his talons.

Danielle screamed.

"It's no use. Nobody will be able to hear you. Your brother is a little tied up right now." The blond boy chuckled evilly.

"Wait just a minute! I thought you were helping me!" Danielle was still trying to squirm away from the vultures.

"Are you kidding?"

Danielle looked down, ashamed and embarrassed. "Maybe next time, I won't be so trusting."

"What makes you think you're going to live long enough to have a "next time"?" The blond boy looked at the vulture. "Tie her up just like Danny Phantom." He commanded.

"But Wenn, Vlad didn't tell us to capture her." The vulture argued.

"But just think how proud he will be of me when he sees her."

That's all that the vulture needed to obey his master.

"Vlad won't be coming, so you'll be waiting here a long time." Danielle said calmly.

Wenn whipped around and his bowl-cut hair moved with him. "On the contrary, Vlad told me that he would meet me here."

"When did he say that? When, Wenn?"

"He told me that about a month ago. That was when I was assigned to catch Danny Phantom."

"Vlad's in jail. The twelve ghosts of Christmas put him there. He won't be coming out until he's served his time. And neither will Cirth."

Wenn just stared at Danielle for a few moments. He was deciding whether or not to believe her. He could see into her mind. He knew that she wasn't lying because she believed what she was saying.

_It can't be true_, Wenn thought.


	33. Chapter 31: Colors Flying

**Chapter 31: Colors Flying**

"What exactly are you suggesting?" Wenn enunciated slowly as he took a few steps closer to Danielle.

Danielle took a deep breath and tried not to be scared. "I suggest you let Danny and I go." She said proudly.

"MAHAHAHAHAHAAAA!" Wenn cackled. He looked back at Danielle and saw it in her eyes that she meant it. "Oh you were serious?"

Danielle scoffed. "What am I doing? You're a psychotic sociopath and I'll never be able to convince you to let us go."

"That's right." Wenn said confidently. He sat down on a nearby chair and the vulture sat next to him.

"So we're just going to…sit here?" The vulture looked up at his master.

"Yes." Wenn said defiantly.

A few minutes passed.

"Are we going to do anything to them?" The vulture asked Wenn. "Anything evil? Sinister? Terrifying? Deadly? Or are we really just going to sit and wait around…"

"Vlad told me not to touch any prisoners I may acquire. Vlad wants to do that all himself." Wenn boasted.

A few more minutes dragged on. The room was oddly silent. It was creepy. Danielle shivered, but put on a brave façade.

"When is Vlad coming?" The vulture spat impatiently.

"For heaven's sake I don't know!" Wenn exploded. He stood up and began to pace around the room.

"You should at least let the girl go because she's not the one you were told to catch. And I know Vlad is very specific with what he tells you to do. You have to do things exactly the way he wants or you could lose this job." The vulture pointed out.

Wenn sighed angrily. "Allright, allright. I'll let her go." Wenn turned to Danielle and she looked at him with hope. "But I'm not going to just let you fly around and destroy this place, or even worse: me." Wenn stepped into another room for just a moment and he brought out a shot with a long pointed needle. He had a mask on.

Danielle was horrified. "Wha-wha-what's that going to do?"

"It's going to neutralize your powers for a few days."

"Days?"

"Yes. That is the only way to capture a ghost. But don't worry; it won't hurt a bit." Wenn injected the shot into Danielle's stomach and she tried not to look but she couldn't help herself. She was surprised to find that it really did not hurt at all. Even when he pulled it out, there was no pain and no blood. It was like it was never there.

Then, Wenn put the needle back and he opened Danielle's shackles and she fell to the floor. She tried to stand up, but she was weakened. She suddenly felt like she had gained sixty pounds. She looked down and her body was still the same size as it had always been. She just had no ghost powers, and apparently no muscles either. Danielle suddenly had a massive piercing headache. She felt her forehead. "Why haven't I changed back to human form if my powers are gone?

Wenn shrugged. "The only halfa we've ever used it on is Danny over there and within a half-hour he was out cold." Wenn looked at the vulture. "You, take her back out of here and make sure she's nowhere near this building."

The vulture obeyed and picked up Danielle and flew her back outside where he set her gently on the ground. She slowly made her way back to the Specter Speeder.

The vulture returned to his master. "Ya know, as time goes by, I thought I was beginning to understand you and the rest of the Tossi. But there's just something about you that throws me off every time."

"You made it very clear that I had to let her go."

"No, not that! It's the fact that you didn't let her feel the pain of the injection."

Wenn looked away. "That would have been inhuman." He said quietly.

"What did you inject her with anyways?"

"Only some ecto-waste from the lab. She only _thinks_ that her powers are gone. Remember, I can make people think things or feel things."

"Yes, yes, you've bragged to me before. You're just that kind of Tossi."

"I'm the _best_ kind of Tossi."

Outside, Danielle explained everything to Cecelia and Tucker. Danielle started up the Specter Speeder's engine.

"What are you doing? We can't just leave Danny at the mercy of those villainous monsters!" Tucker whimpered.

"He'll die!" Cecelia exclaimed, horrified.

"Believe me, I understand your reasoning. But think about it, what do we really have to fight them against? I was just thinking we could go and get Garth, and then—"

"I think if we smash into that little house with this Specter Speeder, we can take them down!" Tucker said.

"No, that's not going to work. But I have another idea." Danielle turned to Cecelia. Tucker looked at her too.

"You have powers. You could fry Danny's shackles."

"I'll give it a try." Cecelia braced herself.

Danielle landed the Speeder near the house that Wenn came from.

"Are you sure it's this one?" Tucker questioned. "They all look exactly the same with their long skinny windows and red lights…"

"This is the one—I swear." Danielle made Tucker and Cecelia get out. Before Tucker exited, he grabbed a Fenton thermos and tucked it into his belt. Danielle drove the Speeder away to a safe distance so that she would not get caught.

Cecelia gulped.

"This is it." Tucker said in a timid voice. "Are you sure you're brave enough to face a Tossi?"

"Absolutely not." Cecelia's voice was shaking as the two of them walked up to the door. "But this is Danny's life we're talking about. _I have to_."

Tucker brought his fist close to the door as if to knock, but then he chickened out and made Cecelia do it.

"All I have is a thermos. So, the most I could do to help you is capture any bad ghosts that may be lurking around. Thermoses don't catch Tossi." Tucker announced. "You'll have to handle him yourself."

It was Wenn who opened the door. He looked at Cecelia in a strange way. "You! You're like us! But…you're not a Tossi!"

"Did I miss something?" Tucker looked back and forth at the two of them.

"We're here to save Danny and we know you have him!" Cecelia said bravely.

Wenn looked at Tucker. "You will go home." He commanded.

"I will go home." Tucker said and he walked away stiffly.

"What did you do to him?" Cecelia asked Wenn.

"I'm psychic. I can make people do things."

"Where's Danny?" Cecelia asked. Her hands glowed with her fierce and unforgiving electrical energy. She glowered at him. "Give him to me. Now." She said lowly.

"Whoa, whoa, now." Wenn backed up cautiously and Cecelia only took more steps toward him because she could see he was scared. "You didn't have that power before when we met." He was trembling slightly and didn't realize it.

"Right. So?" Cecelia raised her arm as if she was going to strike at him. The electricity ball grew bigger and stronger as she fueled more energy into it. It was big enough to cause a small explosion. "So what if I have powers. You're not scared. Are you?"

Wenn cringed. "Your unique electricity makes you _almost_ as powerful as a Tossi. There are two types of Tossi: there are the psychic ones like me and then there are the electrical ones…you resemble them."

"What exactly _is_ a Tossi?"

"_We_ are composed of generations of people that meditate deeply on our own inner power and strength. And then we eventually develop one power or the other. It's a phenomena unique to the Tossi families. Vlad took note of that and that's why he made this little town: just for us."

"That's a little weird. Can't you see that Vlad is using you!" She roared. Her power was fueled by her outrage that anyone would dare to harm Danny. She slashed her hands closer and closer to her face, purposely missing him just so he'd quiver.

"He'd never let any harm come to us! But _you_ are threatening me. And that's why if he finds you here, he'll destroy you."

"For the last time, he's not coming back!" Cecelia put her arm down and Wenn slowly relaxed.

"I can't alter your mind because that electricity is blocking me. It's almost as if you _were_ a Tossi."

"Well, I'm not. I'm not evil like you. I'm one of Danny's best friends. So…let Danny go and I won't hurt you."

Wenn glared at Cecelia with his malicious eyes. He didn't want to give in. He wanted to please Vlad. But he knew it had to be true. Vlad really was in jail. And that meant he wasn't coming back. "I'm not letting the halfa go." Wenn protested foolishly.

"Very well then." Cecelia said. She touched her hand to Wenn's shoulder and a bolt flew through his body.

"Ooowww!" He said as the shock wave forced him to make a dent in the wall. His hair stood on end and he groaned.

Cecelia passed him and went down the three flights of stairs just as Danielle had said. Wenn followed closely behind.

When Cecelia saw Danny, a wave of compassion overcame her. She ran over to him on light footsteps. She zapped each of the shackles and they opened. Danny fell to the floor because he was still unconscious. Cecelia held him in her arms.

She brushed the droopy, lifeless black hair out of his face. She shook him, but he would not awaken. She felt his cheek and it was warm. She pressed her ear against his heart and there was a small soft beat. She sighed in hot relief. He was alive and breathing for the moment.

She smiled weakly when she studied him there…all helpless and silent when he was only just asleep. She was so close to him. Suddenly, she ached for a day when he was awake and healthy and she could hug him then…and he would hug her back. She cried a little and wiped her tears in his shirt.

Cecelia heard Wenn's footsteps and she looked up to see his piercing eyes glaring down at her. With a firey temperament, she carried Danny up the stairs. Wenn followed her, but it was obvious he was not trying to catch her, or harm her.

He stared at her intently, as if he was a trying to make his powers work on her. But trying was futile.

She ran out of the house quickly. She didn't even look back. She just had to get away. What seemed like hours were only minutes of walking before she came to where Danielle had parked the Speeder. There, Cecelia was relieved to see her friends Tucker and Danielle seated inside.

Tucker got out of the Speeder and helped Cecelia carry Danny into the back, where they laid him across three seats. The two of them stayed back there with him. Tucker poured some water from an old water bottle onto a rag and put it on Danny's forehead. Cecelia rubbed Danny's shoulders.

"I hope he wakes up soon." Cecelia said hopefully.

"Me too, Cecelia." Tucker said quietly.

Danielle drove them all back to Amity Park to return the Speeder to its owners.

"I'm just so glad he's okay!" Danielle said.

Tucker and Cecelia cradled sleeping Danny and they kept trying to wake him up but nothing was working.

"Oh, let him sleep. He needs it." Danielle said.

The group returned to the Fenton house and Cecelia and Tucker carried Danny to his bedroom where they laid him on his bed and wrapped the blankets around him. Danielle set the Speeder back to the way it was. And then she realized that Sam and Garth had not come back yet. In all the hours that Danielle had been gone, had the battle not finished yet?

In the ghost zone, Sam Manson stood staring at bloody Garth and Lyon as they had battled. One was now standing slightly more stable than the other. And the other, well he was the victor.

"All bow to your new Prince and my chosen successor: Prince Lyon." Everybody in the audience—except Sam—bowed. Sam considered only Garth. There he stood, all hurt from the battle and now he was about to be hauled away to prison. Apparently, Aragon had made it illegal to challenge a Prince. This rule was created _after_ the Prince had been challenged.

Soon everybody began to exit into the foyer. Sam waited until most of them were gone before she spoke to Garth. "Are you allright?" She asked him with worry and compassion in her voice.

"I'll be fine. You need to go home. Call Danielle and have her come pick you up." Garth said grimly.

"Garth, you can't go to jail!" Sam whined loudly.

Garth changed back to human form and he gave Sam a hug. And then he went into the foyer where a tall white ghost had been waiting for him.

"That's Walker." Sam whispered to Garth. "He's ruthless."

"You've been breaking the rules, son?" Walker eyed Garth angrily, trying to intimidate him. "Rules are made to be _obeyed_, not broken. By the end of the day, the rule won't be the only thing broken." Walker chuckled deeply.

Sam shot a glare at Walker.

Garth eyed Walker with his own furious, firey eyes.

"I'll be takin' you in then." Walker bound Garth in handcuffs and Garth did not even fight it. Sam, who was horrified, tried everything she could to get Walker to let Garth go.

"Isn't there any way to get him out before his due time? And what is his due time, by the way?"

"Only someone with a sort of ruling power can release Garth before his dues—and he'd be a servant to whomever. Actually, it'd be more of a "slave" sort of thing. And his due time is 500 years."

"500 years?"

"I might recall that you have feelings for him, isn't that right, little goth girl?"

"How could you "recall" anything? You've never met Garth!"

"That might be so, but I have a way of figuring these things out. And it's all history now how you and your boyfriend the ghost boy split up. Everybody knows this stuff and they love that kind of drama."

Sam turned away with slight embarrassment. Her cheeks were scarlet. Her eyes were starting to get salty from little tears.

Walker hauled Garth away into a prison barge vehicle.

Sam pulled out her cell phone and gave Danielle a call. Sam explained everything. Sam hung up right before her voice started breaking and then came a small flood of tears. She went in the bathroom where nobody could see. She put her face in a towel to dry it off. And then she came out once she had composed herself.

Danielle came over to Sam the moment she spotted the goth.

Danielle knew that Sam had been crying and she patted her comfortingly on the shoulder. "Don't worry. We'll do something about this. We'll break him free. I know that my brother won't let them keep Garth in prison."

"Thanks Danielle." Sam sniffled a little.

Danielle and Sam got into the Specter Speeder and flew back to the Fentons' basement.

When Sam got out of the vehicle, she smiled broadly to see Danny standing there. "Danny!" She gave him a tight squeeze.

Danny looked around. "Where's Garth?"

By Danielle's reaction, Danny's face turned into a frown.

"Well, where is he?"

Cecelia and Tucker came into the room.

"Danny, you're awake!" Cecelia laughed enthusiastically and she hugged him. Tucker joined in and made it a group hug. But the cheer soon died down into a solemn mood.

"I'm afraid I'm the bearer of bad news." Danielle made a face.

Together, Danielle and Sam explained everything to their friends, and then Danielle explained all about Wenn and how he wanted to turn Danny over to Vlad.

"Sometimes, I just have that feeling where I wish everything was normal." Danielle said.

Most people wouldn't be able to handle these kinds of situations, and that's exactly why Danny was their leader. He sighed and looked at his comrades with solemn eyes. "I'm not going to give up. So I really hope you guys won't either."

"We won't." Tucker and Danielle said in unison. They smiled at each other.

"There's nothing in this world that can make me give up." Sam bragged.

"You can always count on me." Cecelia said. She smiled at Danny sweetly.

"Good." Danny smiled halfway.

"But it's only fair to tell you that I have to leave for France in three days." Sam said to Danny. "So you're going to have many adventures without me."

"Gosh, I totally forgot." Tucker face palmed.


	34. Chapter 32: Welcome To Your Fate

**Chapter 32: Welcome To Your Fate**

"Don't say it like that, Sam." Danny scolded.

"You know that one of us will call you or webchat you and tell you every excruciating detail just like we do for Jazz. Even if you're far away, we can still make this work." Tucker was trying to help. "You can contribute by doing research for us when we need it."

Sam had nothing left to say.

Danny turned to go. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some unfinished business I have to take care of." Danny flew off towards the setting sun.

"Where's he going?" Sam asked.

"Beats me."

Danny flew towards the poorer section of town. He came to Valerie's house and he knocked on her door. She answered. "I'm glad you're okay. My father told me you got kidnapped."

"I'm fine." He sighed. "Why do I get the feeling that you and I really aren't meant to be together?"

Valerie sighed, embarrassed and defeated. "I suppose you want your class ring back…"

"No. You can keep that."

"You think we should break up? Once and for all?"

"I just don't feel the passion anymore."

"Hmm. I suppose you're also here about my decision of joining team phantom or not."

"Well—"

"Please don't judge me Danny. My decision has nothing to do with my relationship with you. And I've determined it's best for me to not get involved with your team."

Danny frowned. "Then you won't help me save Garth?"

"What happened to him?" Valerie's face sparked a sudden peak of concern.

"He's in prison. And his sentence is 500 years. He doesn't belong there, so we're going to have to find a way of getting him out, whether you're with us or not."

"500 years?" Valerie was horrified. "All right, I'll help you save Garth. But after that I'm done."

"Thank you."

"Thank _you_ for respecting my decision."

Danny looked at her and he wanted to confess everything he had been feeling for the past few months. He was very shy about it sometimes. But now just felt like the right time. "I think it's time we breakup. We'll still be friends, of course."

"Danny, I really care about you. And I really want you to know that, no matter what you think of me, I will always be here for you as a friend." Valerie looked like she was about to cry.

But she didn't even shed one tear. In truth, all of her emotions were bubbling up and they had been for quite a while. She knew it was only a short moment of time before it all came out.

"I really admire you." She said softly as she watched the beautifully glowing ghost boy fly away into the night sky. "I'm going to miss you, Danny."

Danny went back to his house. Sam and Tucker had left now, and all that remained was Danielle and Cecelia. The two girls were sitting on the couch fixing each other's' hair.

"Hi Danny." Danielle said as her brother phased through the front door of the house. "What was the big emergency?"

"I broke up with Valerie." He said casually, as if it was no big deal. He poured himself a glass of orange juice and sat next to the girls on the couch.

"I'm sorry." Danielle said comfortingly.

"Don't be—it went perfectly. Turns out both of us have lost our passion for each other. I think it all came from the secrecy thing—all that adrenaline. Now that the secrets are out, everything just seems too…calm. Too normal. Valerie almost seems like she wants to give up ghost fighting for good. And that's the total opposite of me." Danny shrugged as if it really wasn't a big deal to him now.

"Imagine that—a life without ghost hunting. Humph." Danielle chuckled as she brushed out a hair knot. "I've been hunting and fighting my whole life."

"I can't imagine my life without it either. We're a team for life." Cecelia said.

There was a bit of silence, until Danielle said, "Danny, you flew away before we got the chance to tell you how we saved you."

Danny took one last sip of orange juice and put the cup in the sink. "Talk to me while I'm washing these dishes."

"Cecelia, why don't you tell him?" Danielle winked to her best friend. "It's getting really late—I still need to do my evening studies if I want to go to high school next year." She walked upstairs. "Ta ta!" She smiled.

Cecelia approached Danny. "Well, Wenn captured you."

"I'm familiar with that part." Danny smiled as he began to scrub the plates.

"…And then he knocked you out with a serum."

"It didn't even take away my powers like he said it would. I'm glad he was bluffing."

"That's where Danielle comes in. She challenged Wenn and he injected her with something different. If made her weak, but it did not make her pass out. Then she came and got Tucker and I to challenge Wenn. Tucker, being the person we all know and love, was easily overcome by Wenn's Tossi mind persuasion. And then a strange thing occurred that none of us accounted for—Wenn's powers don't work on me because of my electric power."

Danny smiled confidently as he finished the dishes and put them into the dishwasher.

"So I threatened him. When he wouldn't back down, I zapped him and then I found you. I fried the shackles that were trapping you in and then I carried you to the Speeder. Tucker helped me carry you into the house."

"Thank you." Danny hugged her loosely. "I'm glad you guys teamed up to save me.

Cecelia blushed and turned away.

"So, did my sister invite you to spend the night?"

"Yeah. You know Danielle, always a socialite."

"Totally." Danny walked upstairs. "Should I show you where the guest bedroom is?"

Cecelia nodded.

It was the white door across from Danielle's bedroom.

"This used to be Jazz's room before she moved out." Danny flipped on the light switch. "I apologize for all the junk. The desk is still covered with papers, and the stuffed animals are still on the shelves."

"How homey." Cecelia said.

Danny nodded and walked into his own bedroom. Cecelia knocked at Danielle's door.

"Need to borrow some pajamas?" Danielle read Cecelia's mind. Cecelia nodded and opened the door. Danielle tossed her a nightgown. "Might be a little tight on you, though. I'm a teenager in the body of a pre-teen…"

Cecelia smiled. The nightgown was pink and Hello Kitty themed. She went into the bathroom and put it on. As she was walking out, she saw Danny on the other end of the hallway in his ghost form.

"Where are you going? It's almost eleven o'clock." Cecelia approached him.

"On days like these when I've had a big adventure, I always like to go for a flight before I fall asleep." Danny said.

For the first time, he really looked at her and he could see the longing in her purple eyes. He finally realized that Cecelia was no longer a toughie but had become a gentler, kinder person than she was before.

Now that the tomboy exterior had melted away, there was a beautiful girl inside—the kind of girl that would love to go on a midnight ride. "Want to come with me?"

Cecelia nodded and took his outstretched hand. He pulled her close to him. She jumped on his back and he phased them out of the house and into the mysterious night sky, laughing all the way.

Sam was packing for France. She really didn't want to go. She had stalled as long as possible. And now her mother had gotten after her for it. Sam reluctantly packed her essentials neatly into a small black suitcase.

Sam was about to pack in a very dark and gloomy outfit when her mother came into the room. Sam groaned.

"Samantha! Deary, surely you aren't thinking of packing that drab mess of fabric into your suitcase? No! You'll be buying a whole new wardrobe with Aunt Jackie!"

Sam rolled her eyes.

"You're going to be turned into a dainty little princess!"

"Never ever…" Sam said at a low volume her mother could not hear.

Sam's mother drove her to the airport on January third. Sam got in line for the plane and saw before her a tall, bodacious redhead with a perky attitude. "Hi Sammy!"

Sam moaned. "I'm going to regret this…" She said.

"You really don't have a choice. This is for the good of us all, especially you." Sam's mother had a way of making everything sound happy, even if it was Sam's worst nightmare.

When Sam arrived, she looked out at the city of Paris, France. It was all fancy and seemed fake like a horrible dream. It was just the kind of thing Sam hated. City of love, never. But a city of lies? That was more likely. Sam couldn't wait for her trip to be over.

What Sam dreaded most was the fact that she knew her aunt would make her wear all kinds of fluffy dresses and junk just to look pretty. Jackie would probably spend hundreds of dollars on clothes for Sam, if not thousands.

Jackie's mansion was all cute and girly. Jackie had a pink fiat and a pink garage door. There were two little rose shrubs outside the front door with a multitude of red roses on them. The inside of the house was all elegant and Sam felt like if she so much as breathed on something, it would fall apart. Sam's bedroom was a whole other subject.

It was _huge_. And the walls were all painted orange. Sam didn't like orange. It was such a purposeless color. The closet was one of those walk-in ones and it had several of Jackie's old dresses in it.

This was probably Jackie's way of trying to convince Sam to become girlier. But Sam refused to change.

_Welcome to France. _

Breakfast at the Fenton house was most unusual this morning because Cecelia was here. Maddie Fenton was fixing strawberry pancakes. "How many would you like, hon?" Maddie turned to Cecelia.

"Um, three." Cecelia said. She was sitting in between Danny and Danielle. Danielle found it absolutely hilarious that Cecelia and Danny could not take their eyes off each other.

Jack Fenton took half of the first batch of pancakes that came off the frying pan. He scooped them onto his plate and prepared to take a bite when, Maddie roared, "Jack! We have a guest over!"

Jack sighed and let the kids take one pancake each from his pile.

After everybody had finished their pancakes, Danielle pulled Danny aside. "What happened?" she asked him slyly. "I know something happened between you and Cecelia last night."

"I just took her out for a flight. No big deal."

"Oh yes it is!" Danielle squealed. "You two would be so—"

Danny put his hand over her mouth. "Don't even finish that sentence."

She giggled.

Cecelia was walking over, and she looked concerned. "Um, guys, there's only five minutes before school starts. How are we going to get there in time? Unless…"

Danny pulled Cecelia out of the house after they said goodbye to Jack and Maddie. "Okay, it goes like this. We walk for a block until we're out of their view, and then we fly the rest of the way."

Cecelia beamed. She very much enjoyed flying with him. They walked side by side and Danny told her about some of the ghosts he fought in the past. And he was sure to interject some exaggerated details of his heroics just so she'd laugh a little more and say, "Wow, you're so cool."

In first period, Danny caught up with Tucker and gave him a high-five.

"Catch you later, Danny." Cecelia said. She and Valerie sat together near the middle of the classroom while Danny and Tucker sat up front.

"Hey Valerie! Hey Cecelia!" Paulina and Star smiled at their fellow cheerleaders.

"You seem very peppy today. More so than usual." Cecelia noted to Paulina.

"I know!" She squeaked. "Everything's so much brighter and better without that goth geek Sam around to spoil it!"

"So true." Star agreed honestly.

Valerie smiled and relaxed in her seat. "I know, right?" She and her friends laughed.

Meanwhile, up front, Tucker was passing glances at the empty seat to his right that Sam used to sit in. "Danny, don't take this too hard. I'm sure Sam will be back soon." He said assuringly.

"I'm not the one who's taking it hard—you are."


	35. Chapter 33: Taking Matters

**Review plz! 0.0 Sam just can't let go of Danny…**

**Chapter 33: Taking Matters Into Her Own Hands**

It was midday in the bustling world of Paris, France. Sam Manson woke up and she rubbed her eyes sleepily. She smiled because the first thing she saw once she got out of bed was the photo of herself with Danny and Tucker.

Her heart leaped as her mind filled with thoughts of Danny.

This is where everything in her mind got to be so confusing—she was still trying to determine whether it was Garth or Danny who owned that special place in her heart.

Garth was in prison, and he seemed so far away. But Danny was right _here_, in all of her pictures and stories—she could visit him any time she liked. In her mind, she would be the only girl that he ever had. Nobody else could have him—just her. Not _Paulina_, not _Valerie_, not _Cecelia_.

Sam got out her story notebook and began writing a new story—one that takes place in France. The story will follow the adventures of Danny Phantom, a chivalrous hero that comes to save the love of his life from the prison that was France. Sam had a feeling she'd have a lot of spare time on her hands because she was an ocean away from all her friends and family. So she planned to make this story very lengthy.

"Come on, Sammy, let's go to lunch!" Sam's aunt Jackie called from downstairs in her perky voice.

Sam really didn't want to go anywhere with anyone who called her "Sammy". It was worse than calling her "Samantha". Sam hated her aunt Jackie with a burning passion. The way Jackie walked and talked and fluttered about always made Sam realize just how shallow some people can be. Jackie only cared about looks and body and didn't even look at personality. Or maybe that was because she wasn't intelligent enough to notice it.

"Sammy? Are you still asleep? I'm coming up there!" Aunt Jackie chirped.

Sam groaned. She had better put her notebook away.

As Sam was getting dressed, she took one last glance at the picture. "Danny, I wish that you loved me." She said softly so nobody would ever hear. And nobody would ever know. If people _did_ find out, she would never be able to live down the embarrassment.

She zipped up her black coat and walked out of her surrogate bedroom.

But somebody did hear. Outside there was an intangible ghost looming in the window. "I've been waiting a long time for you to make that wish." The ghost said to herself. She turned visible again. Her hair was long and black and her skin was a lime green. She looked like a belly dancer genie. She was stunningly beautiful. "And so you have wished it, so it shall beeee." The ghost waved her hands around magically. And then she flew away laughing.

Sam, who was now in her aunt's pink fiat, was very miserable. All around her were the overrated misconceptions of Paris. Really, Paris is just like any other city. Only most of the people here spoke French.

"Regardez ça! Nous sommes ici déjà! " Jackie peeped. Jackie and Sam got out of the car and entered a very expensive restaurant.

From the way Jackie talked to the waiter and the host, Sam understood that Jackie comes here often. Sam didn't understand much because the menu and the waiter had French words.

All throughout the boring lunch, Jackie tried to start conversations with Sam. "So have you ever dated a really hot guy?"

Sam stared at Jackie awkwardly. "_I _think that the guys I date are attractive. But you might not."

"But have you ever dated a guy just for his looks?"

"No! That's shallow!"

Jackie scoffed. "Sometimes a girl is just being a girl. How many guys have you dated anyway?" Jackie couldn't believe that Sam had many boyfriends.

"I dated a guy named Greggor once. It turned out he was lying about his name and his accent and the country he was from. It was all a con job, but he admitted that he really did have feelings for me."

"Aw! That's so romantiques!"

"No, it's really not." Sam said with spite. But her eyes lit up when she remembered her second boyfriend. "But _Danny_ was the sweetest boyfriend ever!"

"Wow, you actually sounded like a _real_ girl right there." Jackie said. "_Real_ girls are the girls that guys like. They're the ones who aren't afraid to fall head over heels in front of boys."

Sam stopped taking and looked at Jackie.

"Well I've never heard of you going all gaga over a boy before. And besides, isn't Danny your best friend?"

"Yeah…and he still is. But he has other best friends now. He and Tucker have always had that guy friendship that I never understood. And now with Valerie, Garth and Cecelia walking into Danny's life, I know he never saw _me_ as his best friend."

Their food came and Sam noticed Jackie eating caviar in slow, ladylike bites. Whereas Sam had a salad and she had asked for ranch, so this was going to get a little messy. Sam tried to use her napkin as often as possible yet still she could not help but appear as more of a tomboy than a French girl.

"So why did you break up with him? I can tell that you're still totally and completely in love with him."

Now it was Sam's turn to scoff. "He broke up with me." She said sadly.

"Aaaww! Honey that's so sad!" Jackie gave Sam a hug. Sam tried to squirm out of it, but it was inevitable and unavoidable, just like the rest of Jackie. "Maybe France will inspire you to go back to him and tell him your true feelings, if he doesn't already know."

"He knows that I used to like him, but I don't think he knows that I _still_ like him."

"Perfect! Tomorrow, I will teach you how to be suave and sexy just like all the French models you hear about on TV! Before you know it, _he_ will be asking for _you_ back."

Sam groaned. She never imagined herself wanting to turn into the exact kind of thing she hates just to get Danny back. "I'll do it." Sam agreed. What did I just agree to? She asked herself.

"Yaaayy!" Jackie clapped her hands. "You're going to get Danny back!"

It was a cold February day in Amity Park. Kids passed through school—in and out—just like always.

At an ordinary table sat Danny Fenton, Tucker Foley, Cecelia Hazel, and Valerie Gray. When they were all together they could talk about secrets that normal teenagers didn't have to deal with.

"You all seem to be pretty happy today." Tucker said to his friends.

Valerie and Cecelia laughed. "That's because Valerie and I both aced our math tests!"

"Well so did I." Tucker said proudly.

"That's no surprise, man. You're nerdy enough." Danny said. He and both girls laughed.

"Am I the only one that's missin' Sam and Garth? Seriously?" Tucker looked at each of his friends and tried to figure out what they were thinking. They all stopped laughing.

"I miss training with Garth." Cecelia said.

"I miss him too." Valerie agreed.

"…And what about Sam?" Tucker hinted.

"Well…" Cecelia looked down at her plate. "She was always kind of a downer."

"Downright annoying if you ask me." Valerie spoke her mind.

"I miss Sam too. But don't think that just because I'm in a happy mood today, I've forgotten about her." Danny said.

"And I miss her a lot. I used to help her with homework since she was always at home." Tucker said. "But I guess now she's gotta pull through on her own."

"That's nice that y'all miss her, but I'll be honest with you. I don't." Valerie said boldly. All three of her friends stared at her. "It's true. I'm just trying to focus on how to get Garth out of prison right now." Valerie said. "I knew a bunch of people who've been to jail before and none of them had any chance of breaking out."

"Well you've got to keep in mind that this isn't just any jail: it's a jail for ghosts. And Walker guards it." Danny explained. "I even had to go there once. And the security was top-of-the-line when I went there."

"So imagine what it is now." Tucker imputed.

"That's not helping, Tuck." Danny said. "Anyways, even if we do manage to break Garth out, what's to prevent Walker and his goons from taking Garth back again?"

"That means we've gotta convince Lyon to let him go." Valerie said unwaveringly.

"Uh, Lyon's the bad guy, remember! He isn't going to help us!" Tucker argued.

Valerie frowned at him.

When there was a disagreement like this, they all looked at Danny in turn. Danny sighed. "You guys are both right, but the only other way to do this by the rule book is to get Lyon to release Garth. If Lyon sent Garth there, he can get him out just as quick. We'll need to do something about it soon. I just can't stand it knowing that Garth's rotting in jail."

Later after school, Danny's three friends came to his house. There, Danny and Danielle took the group into Danny's bedroom so that they could have a meeting without Danny's parents hearing.

The five of them began to discuss things.

"Danielle, do you have the digital layout of the place so I can put it into my PDA?" Tucker asked.

"No." Danielle said with regret. "My laptop died. Gee, I'd like things better if Jazz hadn't already left for college so I could use her new expensive laptop."

"It's allright." Tucker assured her. "I'll just have to find another way of mapping the place."

"I've gotten a few upgrades installed on my suit." Valerie announced.

"And she's working on making one for me that I won't fry every time I fire electricity out of my hands." Cecelia said.

"So I guess we're all ready to map it out then?" Danny looked at his team and each of them nodded back at him. "Good." They all stood to their feet and made their way downstairs to the basement.

"Well hi kids!" Maddie Fenton looked up from the new ghost weapon she was working on.

Jack Fenton looked up too. "Whatcha need, son?"

Danny couldn't think of a way to distract his parents. Jazz was usually the one who took care of that sort of thing.

"Uh…there's a ghost upstairs." Valerie said plainly.

"A ghost?" Maddie put on her goggles. Jack took up his bazooka. "We'll get rid of it for ya!"

"No ghost dares come into the house of Jack Fenton!"

Danny's parents ran upstairs as fast as middle-aged adults could go.

Quickly, Danny and Danielle changed into their phantom halves and Valerie clicked her heels and her suit and hover board appeared on her. Cecelia rode with Valerie on the whirring hovering board and Danielle took Tucker's hand and flew him.

"Whoa." Cecelia almost fell off of the hovering board.

"I don't think it's meant for two." Valerie said, concerned.

"Then maybe it'd be best if you ride with me." Danny let Cecelia grab onto him so that she was safe. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and held on tightly as they zoomed onwards into the green world of ghosts.

"Does anybody actually know how to get to where we want to go?" Valerie asked.

"I do. I've got the approximate location programed into my PDA." Tucker said proudly.

Valerie scoffed. "Oh brother."

Tucker ignored Valerie and pulled out the small, handheld electronic device. "It says it'll be best if we fly for about half a mile and then take a left at Ember's lair."

"Ember's lair. Got it." Danny said.

The flight was long and boring and Valerie was beginning to get annoyed. Cecelia was looking in every direction trying to take in the sights before they flew past them. Danielle's only concern was not dropping Tucker because she wasn't very strong to begin with, and Tucker was a few Nasty Burgers too heavy.

Abruptly, but surely, Danny stopped in the middle of nowhere. He felt his head as if he has a headache. And then he looked at his friends. "You'll need to excuse me from this mission because I've just remembered an emergency." He handed Cecelia over to Danielle, who struggled with carrying the sudden extra weight. Danny flew past his friends and onward in the direction of home. "I'm sorry but I really must go. And you all must continue on without me."

Danielle and the rest of them didn't even get a chance to respond before Danny Phantom flew off with great speed.

"Wow, he's really getting fast now, isn't he?" Tucker tried to make a joke but it was the wrong time for that.

"What came over him?" Valerie asked. "That was really weird, the way he talked just then. It was almost as if he was possessed."

"I don't know. And that's not good that I don't, because I'm his sister." Danielle said.

"He told us to continue on." Cecelia said. "We should just trust him and do what he says."

"Hmm." Danielle said thoughtfully. Or maybe she was wincing from the strain her arms now had because they were each holding a person.

With that, they resumed their mission's flight.


	36. Chapter 34: Danny's Fight

**Fight the spell, Danny!**

**Please review this chapter!**

**Chapter 34: Danny's Fight **

Sam Manson went up to the bedroom carrying the six shopping bags of clothes Aunt Jackie had bought for her. Sam looked through all of them but she didn't think any of them fit her personality.

Sam pulled out a peach dress with ruffles on the bottom. This one was Jackie's favorite. Sam knew that it would make Jackie so happy if she tried it on.

Sam twirled in it round and round. And then she saw something move past her large window. _Could it be?_

"Danny!" Sam gasped happily. She ran over to the window and let him in. "What on earth are you doing here?"

"Well I was in the ghost zone when the sudden realization came over me that I'm in love with you." He said in a strange monotone.

Sam ignored the monotone. "That was blunt." At first she thought he was kidding, but then she looked at his eyes. "Really?" she gave him a hug. "And you travelled all this way just to tell me that?"

"I flew, actually. So yes." He droned.

"Wow." Sam was all smiles. "And you know I've never stopped liking you since the breakup, right?"

"It's kinda obvious." For one small moment, he broke free of the monotone and then snapped back into it.

"I didn't think you noticed."

"Well I realized that too at the same time I admitted to myself that I love you. It all came very sudden. But I'm glad it did." He took her hand in his. "Would you like to fly with me through the city of love?"

"Would I?" She jumped into his arms and he carried her through the window.

Together they flew and looked over their shoulder at Paris down below. Sam was definitely starting to change her mind about Paris. She pointed out to him places that she'd been and then she'd talk about how irritating Jackie was.

"Don't ruin the moment with complaining." Danny said.

"Okay." She smiled adoringly at him.

And then they took a stroll down a street holding hands this is so perfect, Sam thought. It was just like a fairytale.

From a not too far away place, Desiree was watching the two lovebirds share many sappy romantic moments. "Yes!" Desiree whispered to herself. "Now that he's distracted with her, an attack on Amity Park would be the least of his worries. In fact, he's so far away from Colorado that he won't even notice." Desiree cackled and started to make her way to Amity Park through flight.

Sam and Danny went into the ice cream parlor and he bought her an ice cream and the two of them shared it.

Then they went to the movie theater to watch a random movie. But since it was all in French and they had no idea what anyone else was saying, they just talked through the whole thing. However, when she tried to kiss her, he would always back away as if he was fighting some sort of spell…

And then they went to a petting zoo—only because Sam wanted to go. They pet the little goats and sheep and chickens and Sam actually enjoyed it. Danny did not, but he said he was just happy to be with her, which made her throw her arms around him and try to kiss him. still, he refused to kiss her and he closed his eyes tightly as she squeezed him.

Nightfall had come and Danny flew her home. "Where will you be staying?" She asked Danny.

"I don't know." Danny changed back to human form just as Jackie opened the door.

Sam gasped. "Danny! How could you be so careless!"

Danny shrugged.

That was not like him. Just as Sam was starting to think something weird was going on, Jackie said, "Danny's a ghost and a human? Humph." And then Jackie just walked away. That was Jackie for ya; always taking things lightly.

"Can he stay here, Aunt Jackie? I'm sure this place is big enough and it has five bedrooms." Sam bargained.

Jackie turned around and took a good look at Danny. "You came all the way here just to be with my niece?"

Danny nodded.

"That is so sweet!" Jackie chirped and she gave Danny a hug.

Danny followed Sam upstairs.

"Won't your parents be worried? You should give them a call."

Danny shrugged.

"I wouldn't want them to think you got hurt or kidnapped or anything."

Danny shrugged.

"Danny!" She scolded. "Danny, do it!"

Danny sighed. "Ah, one thing I've always missed about you is your infamously redeeming quality—you have the power of incessant nagging to the point of sheer annoyance." Danny smiled as if he didn't even realize what he just said.

"I've always wanted you." She said. "You _will_ come back for Valentine's day, right?"

"Valentine's day? I thought you always said it was lame."

"That was before we were together. And now, it just seems like the most perfect day in the world!"

Sam showed Danny to his bedroom and then she went back to her own bedroom where she quickly fell into a deep sleep so she could dream about Danny. And all throughout her dream, she began to accept in her mind that fairytales _are_ real.

Danielle, Tucker, Cecelia and Valerie had just arrived at the outside of Walker's prison. "Okay, Tucker you will have to create the layout from what you see." Danielle said.

"We have to be careful not to be seen or caught." Valerie said. "That's why I have this button right here to keep Cecelia and I invisible."

"And I'll keep Tucker and I intangible." Cecelia said.

The four of them landed and proceed to enter the prison walls. Tucker, Cecelia and Valerie passed right through while Danielle could not. "I forgot that in the ghost zone things are flipped around." She turned human and then she could just walk right through.

"What do you need Cecelia and I for?" Valerie asked. "You said that we're not even going to break Garth out yet."

"I know, but if we run into trouble we could definitely use your help." Danielle said.

Tucker lead the way through the prison since he had been here before—but that was two years ago and he was with Danny and Sam.

Together the four teens walked through the place invisible. The prisoners were completely unaware of them.

The group also passed a large brown door whose golden nametag read "The Warden" in embossed letters.

"That must be Walker's office." Tucker said timidly.

"Let's get away from here." Cecelia said.

They noticed that the cells in the prison were made up of some kind of cold steel and they were dirty and rusty and old. But the rest of the jail was painted and decorated just like any normal place of public business.

The group started to get creeped out as they strolled down the hall of the prison cells. "Do we have to go here? I don't like it at all." Valerie said with a frown.

"We have to know every nook and cranny of this place." Danielle said. "So I hope you all have a photographic memory cuz you're going to need it when we return."

"Where is Garth?" Tucker asked his friends in a short whisper. They all shrugged. Tucker sighed heavily and dramatically and then they continued on.

After that, the small group was careful enough to pay attention to all the prison cells and who was in them. Tucker began to notice certain ghosts that his friends would not recognize. Namely they had already passed Johnny 13 and his girlfriend, Kitty, and they were in separate cells across from each other. They missed being together. And also imprisoned were Vlad Plasmius and his "son" Cirth, who had been separated by many cells. Tucker felt safer to know that his enemies were locked away instead of roaming the streets of the human world.

"Isn't that Garth over there?" Valerie pointed out.

"No, it can't be. This place looks so terrible." Cecelia said. "Surely they wouldn't have thrown him _here_."

"I'm afraid you're wrong, Cecelia." Valerie said solemnly.

The four of them made their way over to a cell where a tall boy with a reddish-orange streak in his hair sat on the floor with his eyes closed.

"What's he doing?" Valerie asked.

"He's meditating…just like I taught him." Cecelia said. She was flattered that he had taken her advice, and taken it seriously.

"He looks thinner. They're probably starving him. And I see that he's starting to lose his muscle." Valerie observed.

"We can't let him down, guys." Cecelia said.

"I think I'm done with imputing the layout into my PDA. We should be good to go after we tell Danny everything." Tucker said.

"Why can't we just break him out _now_?" Valerie said. "Our timing couldn't be more perfect."

She attempted to walk through the prison rails just like she had walked through the walls, but there was a shield around the cell that shocked Cecelia and sent her flying backwards onto the floor.

And Valerie went down with her. "I guess they thought of everything." Cecelia said.

"It blocks humans _and_ ghosts? I've never heard of such a thing in all my research!" Danielle said. "We're going to have to keep a note of this. It's going to be a big setback."

"Don't fret." Tucker put his arm around Danielle.

Cecelia chuckled a little. "Did you just use the word "fret"?"

"Yeah."

"Don't say it again." Valerie said to him.

Tucker looked at Danielle. "Don't _worry_. I'm sure Danny will come up with one of his cool plans like he always does. And that'll get us out of this predicament."

"That's assuming we can find Danny." Danielle said. She and the rest of the team made their way to a wall and just passed through it. "And that _he_ can find _us_."

They were all relieved in some way to have left that crazy joint. But the memory of it still haunted them even after they returned through the Fenton portal. They were careful to stay invisible even after they reached the human side of it because Jack and Maddie were working on their ghost weapon.

The four teens went upstairs into the family room where Danielle turned them tangible again.

"Danny? Are you home?" Danielle walked around the house in search of her brother.

Valerie took a look at that map Tucker had made with his PDA. "What do you think will be the best method of attack?" She asked Tucker.

"I dunno. We just have to avoid Walker and keep our distance from everyone else too. Danny'll have to come up with the rest."

"Do you have any idea why he left?" Cecelia had a slight hint of concern in her voice. Her true emotions she refused to reveal.

"To be honest with you, I really don't know. He was acting normal right up until that point." Tucker said.

"Hmm." Valerie said.

Danielle and Cecelia walked into the family room.

"I don't get it. Danny's just…gone." Cecelia said. "It's not like him to just leave like that."

"And it's not like we can call him either, because I saw his cell phone on his dresser." Danielle said.

"Okay, now I'm starting to get worried." Cecelia said.

"Let's just hope he calls here soon. Keep your cell phones on you at all times and keep a lookout for him in the streets. I've got a bad feeling about all of this. Something's not right." Tucker looked at each of her friends' faces and was able to pick up on their emotions.

"For now, the best thing we can do is go home." Valerie said.

The three guests headed to the door and put on their jackets.

"I'll let you know right away if anything happens." Danielle assured them.

They each went back to their own homes.

"Please let Danny be okay." Cecelia said softly to herself as she walked home.

Danielle was asleep in bed when she heard her cellphone play the song "Watch Me" by Bella Thorne. Danielle made an angry grunt because she didn't want to answer it. But then she shot out of bed when she remembered, "Danny!" she quickly got ahold of the phone and yes, it was him. "Are you okay?" Danielle asked in panic and worry.

"Calm down, I'm fine. I'm safe…in a mansion…in France…with Sam." He droned.

"Are you serious? Don't kid with me right now because I'm running on five hours of sleep—"

"I'm quite serious. I just couldn't stand to be away from her any longer."

"But you webchat her every night. And wait a minute, how did you get there?"

"I flew."

"To _France_? In the _winter_?"

"Yep. I just couldn't stay away…"

"You don't sound like yourself. So why did you _really_ go over there? Is there a ghost attacking or something?"

"No. France is one-hundred-percent ghost-free, thank goodness. And I already told you I was missing Sam."

"You didn't say it like _that_!"

"Like what?"

"Like you actually have romantic feelings for her!"


	37. Chapter 35: I Wish You Remembered

**Chapter 35: Danny, I Wish You Remembered**

Danny hesitated. He was fighting it. "I don't know what came over me." For a brief moment, he sounded like himself again.

He thought Danielle would be happy for him. He couldn't figure out why she was so upset. Danielle gasped. There was a long pause of silence. She didn't want to believe what she just heard.

"Well, aren't you going to congratulate me or something?"

Danielle remained silent.

"_Danielle_…"

"Danny, she isn't the right girl for you. And deep down, I know you know that too. Valerie has been—"

"Valerie!" Danny said suddenly as if he had completely forgotten about her. "But she and I are over now. We're history."

"And you don't think that Sam might be your rebound?"

"Rebound?"

"Well yeah, you're upset about losing Valerie."

"Valerie and I are still friends and that's the way we like it." Danny said. "But lately I've been thinking more about…" Now it was Danny's turn to be quiet. He felt an awful churning guilt in his stomach.

"Danny, if you come back before sunrise, I'll just pretend like all of this never happened and you'll be okay. You'll be happier, I promise."

"But I already _am_, Danielle." He went back into his trancelike voice.

"Just come home."

"No."

Danielle's face was getting hot. She couldn't believe Danny was being so foolish here. It was as if somebody was controlling him. Sam? No, she didn't have the capability. "Danny! Don't talk to me like that! I'm your sister and you know I love you and I only want what's best for you so please reconsider!" She had to get him to fight whatever spell he was under so that he would come back to being himself.

There was a low buzzing coming from the other end of the line which meant that Danny had hung up on her.

"Ugh!" Danielle said, frustrated. _I need to get Tucker and Cecelia to help. But how can we help Danny if we don't know what's happening to him?_ Danielle sighed.

She calmed down a little more after she got into bed. And she pulled the covers around her body so that she was all cozy. "Things will look better in the morning. They just about have to." She said to herself. And then she closed her eyes and faded into a dream.

It was morning and Jack and Maddie asked Danielle where Danny had spent the night.

"Uh, he's at Sam's." Danielle spoke the truth. And lucky for her, Jack and Maddie did not know Sam was in France.

Since Danielle didn't go to school, she had pretty much the whole day to devise a plan. First, she and her friends would go to Prince Lyon and bargain for him to release Garth—busting Garth out of prison (unfortunately) took top priority over solving the mystery of Danny's weird behavior.

They would have to break into the prison to get Garth out. The only variable left was Danny. They needed him. He was by far the best fighter of them all. Danielle slumped in her chair as she slowly ate her bagel.

She thought, _the only other way to get Danny back would be to fly to France just like he had done. But that could take a while. Every day is like a hundred years for poor Garth who is wrongfully locked away in prison. _

Danielle cringed when she tried to understand what prison was like. Garth was probably bored too. He could only meditate so long. And he didn't have a cell mate. He didn't have anything to exercise with either. And he was probably only fed two meals a day of disgusting ghost food.

Danielle gagged. She sat down on the large couch in the family room. It was green. And it was one of those you could just sink into.

She pretended to be doing a lesson from her homeschooling. But really she was trying to figure out how to save Garth. A few minutes thereafter, she heard a knock at the front door. She stood up and stretched, then trotted over to the plain wooden front door to answer it. "Hi Tucker. Whatcha doing?" Danielle leaned casually in the doorway.

"I," When Tucker looked at her face; it was as if she took the words right out of his mouth. "You're Danny's sister." He said regretfully. "And speaking of Danny, he called me last night and told me where he is. You're not going to like it."

"He already told me."

"Oh."

There was a silence for a beat and Danielle just stared at him and waited for him to speak again. But he looked away. "Is that all?" She was hoping he'd want to talk about her.

"Yeah, that's all." Tucker said. He walked down the three front steps of the porch. "Gosh do I feel stupid for actually coming here…"

"Oh, don't say that!" She smiled a little.

Tucker whipped around, embarrassed that she heard him.

"Maybe you didn't come here for nothing."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that I have hours' worth of video games that have yet to be played. There's only so much fun I can have when playing alone. And with a two-player, I can kick your butt." She smiled broadly.

Tucker came into the house. "Oh really?" He said competitively.

Danielle got out one of her favorite games. This one was called "Attack of the Ghosts". The over-exaggerated graphics made Danielle laugh. And knowing she'll be able to beat Tucker easily made her laugh even more.

For a while, Tucker had more points, but then a hidden ghost jumped out of nowhere and Danielle zapped it. That earned her bonus points.

And by the end of the game, Danielle was far ahead. "Wohoo! I win again!"

"That's no fair! It's only because you play this game no end!" Tucker wasn't being a poor sport. In a way, he was actually glad that she had beat him.

"So what do you think we should do about Danny?" Tucker asked, knowing it would get her to stop gloating and be serious. And that's just what she did. She sat on the couch and faced Tucker.

"I'm..."

"You're what?"

"I'm going to go to France. Yeah. I'm going to talk some sense into him. I was on the phone with him last night and I have reason to believe he's being controlled by some sort of trance or spell."

"WHAT?" Tucker overreacted. "You're leaving NOW?"

"Um…" Danielle said, "…Yeah." She said with increased confidence. Danielle started to walk around the house gathering a few items. Tucker followed her.

Tucker didn't know what to say to her. He just wanted everybody to be happy. "If that's what you think is the right thing to do," He put his hand on her shoulder, "Then I trust you."

Danielle nodded. She left a note on her parents' bathroom mirror so she knew they would read it. The note explained everything: about Danny leaving and Danielle coming after him. "For now, I'll have to trust _you_ to round up Cecelia and Valerie and save Garth together."

Tucker saluted her out of respect. And she saluted him back. "You can count on me." He said with a braveness that surprised them both.

"I just wish Lyon would be a better ruler. I wish he wouldn't ever imprison people like Garth who didn't do anything wrong." Danielle said wistfully. Tucker helped her gather the last of her things.

Danielle put on her coat and put on her backpack and like that she was gone. Next, Tucker headed to Cecelia's house to explain everything.

Outside the Fenton house was intangible Desiree. She had been spying on Danielle for a long time. "Well it's about time you made a wish." Desiree spoke as though Danielle could hear her, but Desiree knew very well that she could not. "And so you have wished it, so it shall be." She whispered. "And now that Danny's gone, Team Phantom is splitting at the seams and Danielle's about to leave too, which means there will be nobody left to protect the town!" And then Desiree laughed diabolically. Her plan was turning out better than anyone could have predicted, even her.

Tucker knocked at Cecelia's door. She let him inside. "Is your father home?" He asked her quietly.

"No. He's on a business trip actually."

"I've heard some news about Danny. I don't know if—"

"Yeah he called me." She interrupted. She looked down glumly.

Tucker didn't notice her mood.

"Yeah, Danielle kinda went over to France to try and get him to come back." He tried to tone it down as if he expected her to panic. He always did that, when he himself was usually the first one to panic.

"Good." Cecelia looked relieved. "Danny shouldn't have just dropped everything and gone over there. It kinda freaked me out a little when I heard. I didn't think he even liked her that way."

"He _doesn't_. Danielle and I know something's wrong. Did he tell Valerie?"

"Danny told me he wasn't going to tell her." Cecelia replied warily.

Tucker sighed. "I'm really tired of all these secrets. But we'll need to focus on going to Lyon and pleading for Garth's release."

"Right."

"And if that doesn't work…"

"…We'll break him out. You're not afraid, are you?"

"Who, me? No. Never." Tucker said proudly.

"Then tomorrow, let's go get Valerie and make our plans because we're going to win this thing!" Cecelia determined.

Cecelia, Tucker and Valerie gazed into the open portal to the eerie green world of ghosts. Here they had bravely come, and now it was their chance to prove their bravery. The two bravest members of their team were gone. And now the less bold would have to step up and save the day.

Tucker looked at Cecelia as if to say, "Do I have to?"

She already knew what he was thinking because she was thinking the very same thing. She nodded to him.

Valerie clicked her heels and her hovering metallic board appeared. Cecelia and Tucker both hopped on. "Okay this is not going to work." Valerie said with a disagreeable attitude.

"It's the only way." Cecelia said.

"Unless we steal the Specter Speeder." Tucker added.

"Danny does it all the time. I'm sure Mr. and Mrs. Fenton won't mind, since they are asleep." Tucker opened the door and Cecelia and Valerie followed him. "I'll drive." He suggested. "So hold onto your seatbelts."

It was Sam who usually drove. And now they knew why. Tucker was worse than a reckless driver with rabies and a two-liter of Red Bull.

Valerie and Cecelia, terrified, clung to the seat of the car with their eyes closed. Tucker was probably going sixty miles per hour.

"Look yonder, it's the medieval realm!" Tucker said with unsurity in his voice. The girls opened their eyes to a flowery land with a fairytale castle as opposed to the gloomy castle that it used to be.

"Is it?" Cecelia asked.

The three of them slowly exited the Specter Speeder. They walked around cautiously until they happened to wander in the castle.

"Maybe we should ask for directions." Valerie said.

"No. This is the place. I know because I've been here before." Tucker said defiantly.

Valerie sighed, annoyed.

A servant man greeted the three travellers. "May I assist you?"

"Yes, could you give us directions to Prince Lyon's castle?" Valerie asked before the other two could speak up.

"You're in it." The servant almost chuckled.

The three friends exchanged confused glances.

"Prince Lyon had a sudden change of heart and is now a benevolent ruler and friend to all people."

"Could we see him?" asked Cecelia.

"Surely. He enjoys talking to commoners such as yourself. Right this way." The servant waved his hand and the three friends followed close behind.

"If this is a trick, I'm prepared." Valerie told Cecelia and Tucker.

"So am I." Cecelia said. She braced her fists.

"And I've got…nothing." Tucker said since he didn't have any powers. All he had was his PDA and the Fenton thermos.

The servant opened the doors to a large, open, grandeur room that appeared as though it belonged to an English monarch. And there in the center of the room, a young man sat on top of the throne. He looked like he was in his twenties. His skin was pale green and his hair was flaming orange and his eyes glowed blue. He was very muscular. And he had a smile on his face.

The servant instructed Cecelia, Tucker and Valerie to bow before Lyon, the prince of the medieval realm.

"Rise. And pray tell why you have come such a long way to talk to me. You are all humans and you probably have your own lives to attend to." He was still smiling.

Creepy.

But it was more of an amused smile that a smile that hinted he was hiding something.

"We've come to request that you release our friend Garth." Tucker asked boldly. And he didn't even stutter.

Cecelia and Valerie raised their eyebrows. Their respect for Tucker increased.


	38. Chapter 36: Freedom At A Cost

**As with most of my chapters, you can take the title more than one way xD review plz**

**Chapter 36: Freedom At A Cost **

"Ah yes, him. You can have him."

"Just like that? He can go free?" Tucker asked in shock. "After all that's happened?"

"What's the catch?" Valerie asked grimly.

"Hmm. There is no "catch". And I want nothing in return, save the happiness of my people."

Cecelia crossed her arms. "But we aren't—"

"You're close enough. Go to Walker's jail. Tell Walker I sent you. And ask for Garth's release." Lyon waved the servant to come back over and escort them out. "Fair day, now." Lyon bid them goodbye.

"Well that was weird." Tucker said as he drove them to Walker's jail.

"Maybe it's a trick to get us all into jail." Valerie suggested keenly.

Tucker programmed the Specter Speeder to charge into the jail if the group did not return with Garth in twenty minutes. "We can never be too sure." He said as they all stepped out.

Not just anybody could walk into this top-security jail now that they wanted a prisoner to be released. It took a while to convince the guards to let them in.

Eventually, the three kids found themselves in front of Walker's office. "Here it goes." Tucker winced as he turned the knob.

The knob turned the rest of the way by itself. Tucker drew his hand away and the girls gasped. The door opened to a dark interrogation room.

Valerie was frightened. "_This_ is his office?"

"Walker? Walker? Are you here?" Cecelia called.

"Oh yes, I'm here." A large white ghost in a hat assembled right in front of their faces. "My door does that from time to time. After all, this _is_ a ghost realm. Come here. And tell me what you want. Have you broken any _rules_?"

The three shook their heads. "No sir." They said simultaneously.

"Good." Walker relaxed in a reclining chair. "So why are ya here then?"

"Prince Lyon sent us for the release of Garth Lloyd." Cecelia said bravely.

Walker raised an eyebrow.

Tucker was expecting Walker to decline the request, but surprisingly, Walker pressed some buttons on a keyboard and picked up a loudspeaker. "Three kids are here for the release of Mr. Lloyd."

Within a few minutes, two prison guards and Garth entered the room. Garth was confounded but at the same time he was relieved that he had been released.

"I'll release him into your capable hands." Walker looked down on the humans with harsh eyes.

Garth gave Tucker, Valerie and Cecelia hugs.

"I don't understand!" Tucker said to Walker. "You're just going to let him go like that? This isn't a trap?"

"Yeah. How do we know you're not using Garth as bait to capture _all_ of us?" Valerie sneered.

Walker sighed. "All of a sudden, Lyon's had a change of heart. He's a much better Prince now and he's letting prisoners go right and left. I'm not saying that's a _good_ thing, I'm just saying that he's become a much better guy. And I'm only following the _rules_ when I set your friend free. I'm irritated that Aragon made up that phony law just to put this kid in jail…"

"Well thanks anyway." Cecelia said quickly.

The four teens shied their way out of Walker's jail. Valerie seemed a little jumpier than usual. Tucker drove the four of them back to the Fenton portal. "Well, this is the best day I've had in a while." Garth said laughing. "And boy am I famished." His stomach growled loudly.

"That's great because so am I the first thing we're going to do when we get back is to go to the Nasty Burger." Tucker parked the Specter Speeder where they had found it. The four of them casually walked outside.

What they saw when they opened the door was chaos...and it was undeniable. They all stared about in surprise. The skies were red, there were pink bunnies everywhere, there were people screaming and running around, the trees were walking and attacking people, and it was all because of one ghost in the sky—she was beautiful, and extremely powerful. And she was laughing.

"Desiree!" Tucker shouted with angst. "I shoulda known it was her! _She's_ the one that's been behind these strange happenings. I'll bet it was her who caused Lyon to suddenly become a saint, and her who is making Danny act batty!"

"What's going on?" Cecelia and Valerie asked in unison.

"Desiree's a genie ghost. She grants every whish she happens to hear—which means this all can't be good." Tucker clenched his teeth. "We need to tell Danielle."

"Well we have to stop it." Garth said with a sense of urgency.

Tucker sighed hopelessly, "Without Danny or Danielle, we're basically useless against Desiree's power."

"You're forgetting about _me_." Garth said as he transformed into his dragon self.

"And me." Cecelia readied her electrical fists.

"I'm definitely not useless." Valerie scowled as she hopped onto her hover board and activated her suit into protection mode. She put the helmet on and loaded her weapons.

Tucker gave them a thumbs' up and said, "I'm going back to the Specter Speeder to grab a Fenton thermos. Be back in a sec."

Garth began to fire at the attacking trees, but it seemed to be no use. Whenever a tree was destroyed, there came another to take its place. Tucker was sucking the harmless pink bunnies into the Fenton thermos. "Who wished for _those_?" Tucker complained to himself.

That left Cecelia and Valerie to fight Desiree. "I wish you would just come out and fight instead of hiding like the coward you are." Valerie wished.

Suddenly Desiree appeared close by. And she was huge. "Yes! Keep wishing!" She said with jubilation.

"Why don't you just give up now before I destroy you." Valerie aimed a weapon at Desiree. It was an ecto-cannon. It hummed as it was preparing to launch a deadly amount of energy. But before it was ready, Desiree smacked Valerie far, far away. That left only Cecelia.

"There must be something you'd like to wish for, child?" Desiree turned to the muscular brunette girl.

"It's nothing _you_ can grant." Cecelia glared. Her electricity formed in her palms. She released a bolt, but Desiree dodged it.

Desiree scoffed as she easily dodged every bolt Cecelia could release. "I grant all the wishes pathetic human minds can desire, and this is the kind of thanks I get? What are you giving me in return, child?" Desiree was about to smash Cecelia with her ghostly tail. Cecelia had released alot of energy and was now too exhausted to move out of the way.

"A gift." Valerie swooped in with angry eyebrow. She picked up Cecelia and threw her at Desiree.

The moment Cecelia made contact with Desiree; she shocked her using the last bit of energy she had.

"I wish that the bunnies were gone and the trees went back to normal and the skies were blue again." Valerie said in the nick of time.

Desiree's hair stood on end and she was all crispy from Cecelia's attack. Valerie caught Cecelia just before she would have hit the ground.

"Nooo!" Desiree had to grant the wish that would lead to her demise. She moaned obnoxiously in anguish. "Not my bunnies!" The pink bunnies evaporated into the air. "But I must obey." The trees took root again. The sky went back to being blue. "I hate my power." And the townies stopped panicking and cheered for the heroes.

"I wish you'd get far, far away from my town!" Garth commanded.

Cecelia managed a half-smile.

Garth transformed back once nobody was looking.

And Valerie just stood there. Her three frends looked at her.

"Doesn't it feel good to be part of a _team_?" Tucker hinted.

Valerie tried to avert her eyes from them. She didn't want to give a reply. She helped exhausted Cecelia onto a bench where she could hopefully recover some lost energy.

"You're all part of something bigger than just yourself." Garth brought Tucker over to the girls. "Together, _we_ can handle almost anything. We all proved today that we're just as good of fighters as Danny and there are no weaklings on the team." Garth said. "None of us are deadweight."

"I told you this was a one-time deal. Now Garth is free. I hope you guys will keep your end of the bargain and leave me to my business." Valerie started to walk away.

Cecelia lost her smile. Tucker's shoulders dropped. Garth crossed his arms.

"Well I think you might want to help Danny though." Cecelia said.

Valerie froze.

"Don't push her, Cecelia." Tucker warned.

"Remember, he disappeared? Well, he went to France. And he's been acting kinda flaky about the whole thing. And we'll need _you_ to help convince him to come home." Cecelia knew her friend would not say no to anything Danny-related.

Valerie turned back around. "Why France? That's where Sam is, and—"

"Desiree must have put him under a spell." Tucker shared his theory.

"Somebody must have wished it." Cecelia added. "Sam must have wished…"

"…That Danny still loved her." Cecelia, Tucker and Garth said in unison.

Valerie gasped.

"We're going." Garth said.

"To France?" Cecelia looked at Garth warily.

"Now?" Tucker gave him a surprised look.

"Yes to France. No, not now. This'll have to wait till tomorrow, as much as I regret it. It'll be easier to fly then and we'll need all the morning hours we can get. For now let's all just get a good night's rest." Garth decided. "Valerie, you recharge your suit because tomorrow's going to be a long flight." Garth said to his friends. They all muttered some acknowledgement of agreement.

Valerie flew Cecelia to her house. "You can stay over at my house while you…"

"Recharge."

"Yeah."

It was in the affluent house of aunt Jackie's that Danny found himself thinking about Sam, but then trying to obliviate the thoughts once they came into his mind. He didn't want them there, so why was he forced to keep dwelling on them?

The obstinate goth was in his dreams, his mind and his heart. He snapped out of bed because he was so frustrated with the conflict of his feelings.

She was downstairs eating an afternoon snack, twirling her short raven black hair around her littlest finger. As soon as Danny came downstairs, Desiree appeared in the room. "Danny!" Sam scolded.

"Are you happy with what you wished for?" Desiree looked at the terrified gothic girl. Desiree threatened Danny with a plasma blast but he did not even seem to care. He didn't go ghost either.

Sam put all the pieces together. Desiree could see clearly that Sam was unhappy. She was waiting for Sam to make another wish to undo all of this.

Sam looked at Danny, "Danny Fenton, I wish you remembered who you truly love…"

"Your wish is my command." Desiree waved her magic hand limply. She disappeared with a disgruntled sigh.

He stood up and his head ached. When he opened his eyes, it was as if he had no idea where he was. Sam was just as bewildered as he, and she helped him sit down.

"Sam…what? I thought you were in France…?"

Sam just stared at him. "You're in France too." She reminded him slowly.

"What day is it?" He asked, concernedly

"It's five days before Valentine's Day." Now she was beginning to suspect there was something more going on here. And it was freaking her out. "Are you okay?"

"Valentine's Day?" Danny stood up suddenly. "Last I remember, it was February fourth…"

Sam looked away. There were warm tears forming at the edges of her eyes. She dare not let them run. But it hurt so much. Her heart was broken because she knew he did not remember... February fourth was the day she had made her wish about him loving her. And it was also the day he had come for her.

As she walked out of the room in search for her cell phone, she began to finally accept the fact she and he were not meant to be. He did not love her for real; _that_ was obvious. He was only under a spell..

Maybe she didn't love Danny anymore either. She'd always be his friend, but in all this time he's been here, it didn't feel right. And that was because they didn't belong. And she was actually _happier_ now than when she first came to France. She had finally let go of all that pain and remorse for herself. She no longer pitied herself.

Danny passed out on the sofa due to shock.

And now she had the courage to call her parents' home phone. "Mom, dad? I know you can hear me even if you won't pick up the phone. And I just wanted to let you know that I'm coming home. You can't just send me away to a foreign country and expect me to come back as the little princess you've always wanted. I'll _never_ be like Jackie. I am who I am, and you've just gotta accept that. I'll be on the next flight home, and you can count on that."

Sam shook Danny and made him wake up.

"Wha…?"

"Don't worry; there will be plenty of time for me to catch you up once we get back to Amity Park." Sam began to pack her bags.

A few minutes later, they found that Danielle was at the front door. Jackie let her in. Sam and Danny were all set and ready to go home.

"What's going on?" Danielle asked.

"He was under Desiree's spell." Sam explained. "But don't worry about him because he's fine now." Sam took a first class seat on a plane and she decided it would be wise to not tell Danny about their affair.

Danielle and Danny flew back home to Amity Park. On the way home, Danielle told him everything she knew. And she conveniently left out the part about the affair.


	39. Chapter 37: Plans Really Suck

**Everybody makes plans, but they don't always work out the way we want them to. or sometimes they do :D review plz!**

**Chapter 37: Plans Really Suck**

Wenn was strolling through the neighborhood where he and the other Tossi lived. It was the very same neighborhood with all the strange little black houses Vlad had built for them. Since half of the "houses" were actually laboratories, there were not that many of the actual Tossi living here.

The Tossi started long ago (thousands of years) when a group of people banded together and decided they wanted to have special powers. And they had their own special way of getting them.

They were all surprised that it worked, and they decided to teach their families and their children and so on. But eventually the Tossi's electric and psychic powers became genetic. A Tossi child either inherited one or another. But sometimes there would be the fluke offspring who got neither power.

The current Tossi leader, Korr, is trying to scientifically define the phenomena of their genetic power, but as of yet he and his crew have nothing on it. It's just like the ghost zone: it can't exactly be explained. It just _exists_.

The Tossi are currently devoting themselves to science as well as power. They can co-exist peacefully with humans (most of the time). But they cannot exist with ghosts. The Tossi have made the ghost their mortal enemies, and hatred and prejudice thrive along both lines and both worlds. With each "species" trying to constantly wipe out the other, they have been working on creating many new weapons. They also try to keep this secret from the humans because neither side can risk it.

The Tossi are proud, arrogant and stiff. If it were not for the fact that they have respect for one another, they could be referred to as sociopaths. Tossi only marry Tossi, and then they produce several children usually five to ten. The Tossi's intention is to multiply so that they can outnumber ghosts and eventually go into their realm and extinguish them. However, the electric Tossi have discovered that something about their power disables them from entering through ghost portals. And _they_ are the Tossi that fight the best. Wenn is just an ordinary Tossi who endeavors to fight in the imminent battle and earn honor, power, and fame among his people.

Wenn was an orphan and he was adopted by Korr. Korr also has a son, Astin, who will become the next Tossi ruler when Korr is unable. Wenn wants so dearly to finally please them. Even though Korr treats Wenn like another son, Wenn always feels that he owes Korr a debt for taking him in all these years.

And _that_ will be Wenn's motivation.

Wenn saw a shadow moving across the sun. Wenn looked downwards as his face was immediately stricken with guilt. The shadow in the sky belonged to Vlad and Cirth. And Wenn could only imagine Vlad's wrath when he saw that Danny Phantom was not captive here.

Wenn was no coward—that meant he'd have to face Vlad. The boy found himself walking in the direction Vlad was flying. Wenn was walking as slow as possible.

The blond teen approached Vlad's home—it was easy to spot because it was the largest of the Tossi homes. Wenn didn't even have to knock on the door.

It was Cirth who opened it, and his glowing green eyes reflected his rage and disappointment. Wenn ignored the young boy out of embarrassment only. Cirth presented Wenn to Vlad. "He didn't capture the Phantom. As if his telepathic vibes weren't enough, I can figure it out by the disgusting look on his face." Cirth said with that inborn pride Vlad had raised him to have.

Wenn grimaced.

"Calm down, Wenn. I'm not going to punish you. However, I suppose you already know that?"

"Yes." Wenn nodded. "And I'd like to confess that I did capture Danny Phantom for a few days but then his friends came and rescued him. Did you know they've got a girl with nearly the same powers as an electric Tossi? Danny's team is purposely out to get us, just like you said."

"And your motivation is what makes me all the more keen on giving you a second chance."

"Really?" Wenn smiled gratefully.

"Yes. I've got a plan. But you already know what it is since you're reading my mind."

"It's…brilliant. They won't know what hit them."

"Yes, bring them all to me. I want Danny's whole team—the goth girl, the ghost hunter, the geeky boy, Danielle, the dragon-boy, and Danny's little girlfriend the electric girl."

"What if they suspect I'm not what I say I am?"

"It's _you_ who can read minds, not them."

"Right. I'll make them all believe I'm on their side, and then I'll wait for just the right moment to pick them off one by one."

"What do _I_ get to do?" Spoiled Cirth asked Vlad.

"You? I've got a very special task planned for you. You are going to pretend to be Danny, and you're going to drive them all crazy. Make his friends turn against him. Embarrass him in class. And make all the teachers flunk him. Your purpose is to drive them all so insane that they won't realize what Wenn is doing until it's too late. _Team phantom will have nowhere to go_." Vlad laughed evilly.

Cirth cackled. "Oh wait, I'm twelve! I don't look like Danny yet…"

"I'll work on that. Leave it to me. Pretty soon you'll look sixteen. As soon as I get back to my lab, I'll give you something for that."

Cirth headed off to the lab.

Vlad turned to Wenn and pointed a long muscular finger at the blond kid. "Don't mess up." Wenn nodded out of intimidation. "You should probably go home now." Wenn turned to walk out the door and back to his home.

On his way, the evil gears in his head were turning as he was thinking of ways to make this all work out the way Vlad wanted it to. And Wenn was also wondering how Vlad got out of prison. He shrugged _that_ off his shoulders as he made an evil little plan of his own.

He unlocked the door to his small home and went inside. He turned on the red lamp. (Inferred lights helped Tossi think better). Wenn had to practice pretending that he was a good guy. "_Oh, after I let Danny go, Vlad banished me. I have nowhere to go, but I want to fight with you all_…" Wenn said into a mirror. "That's not convincing enough." He complained, thus snapping back to his evil self. Wenn made a mock sad-face into the mirror. "_But I have nowhere to go_…" He smiled evilly. "That's the one." He chuckled.

It was Monday evening after school where the team finally met in one place—Danny's house. The team decided it was for the benefit of their friendship that they all forget Danny's recent attitude because he was under a spell. Danny, Garth, Tucker, Cecelia and Danielle hung out just as normal teenagers would. (Valerie turned down the invitation to come and Sam was busy unpacking.)

Were things finally getting back to normal?

Would their lives _ever_ be normal?

"So what are we going to do today?" Danielle broke the ice.

Garth shrugged. "Beats me."

"All the action's over." Cecelia said.

"We're all glad to have you back, Garth!" Tucker raised his hand in the air and hoped Garth would give him a high-five.

"No." Garth said stoically.

Danny decided he wanted to talk to Cecelia. Alone. He pulled her aside and they went into the bathroom. He shut the door and he gave her a big hug. "The first thing I remember upon coming out of Desiree's spell was an image of you." He said to her softly.

"Okay." She smiled.

"I don't know why—but suddenly I felt free to do this." He kissed her gently on the lips. "And I've wanted to do that ever since that night. Finally, the right time arrived." He blushed.

Cecelia's face went crimson as her lipstick. She hugged him tightly. "I've been waiting for you to do that!"

"Great." Danny's face went hot.

"So now I guess we're…dating now, huh."

"Yeah." Danny blushed. "So should we go out? Tonight? It is Valentine's Day after all." He chuckled awkwardly.

"I'd love too." She giggled as she held his hands.

They walked downstairs as if nothing had happened.

However, Danielle immediately sensed the raging hormones in the room. "Danny, you so have a girlfriend." She chuckled to herself.

Tucker brought out a Monopoly game. "It's about time we all have some quality fun together that does _not_ involve hunting ghosts.

Later in the day, Danny and Cecelia went into the ice cream parlor and he bought her chocolate ice cream and the two of them shared it. Then they went to the movie theater to watch a random movie. But since it turned out to be one of those really fake "action" movies, they just talked through the whole thing and maybe kissed a little. And then they went to a petting zoo—only because Danny wanted to go. They pet the little goats and sheep and chickens and Cecelia actually enjoyed it. Danny did too, and then he said he was even happier to be with her, which made her throw her arms around him and kiss him over and over.

Sam was unpacking at her house and her parents had been unusually quiet. They just got all serious whenever she came around. And she knew why too. She was proud that she had finally found the courage to call them out. But she was worried that they still wouldn't be able to accept her.

Her cell phone was vibrating. "Hi Sam." It was Garth. "Are you okay?"

"The question is: are _you_ okay? _You_ were the one in jail not me."

"Oh jail wasn't that bad. They just underfed me a little, that's all. And I'll have no problem getting back to the way I was. It's so strange how Lyon suddenly changed."

"I know. I didn't expect that. I'm just glad you're fine now."

"Yes. Me too. And I'm proud of you for standing up to your parents."

"What?" Sam felt a little embarrassed.

"Danny told me."

"Oh." Sam felt almost…happy that he had called. She was truly relieved that he wasn't hurt. She liked things better when he was happy. And she liked talking to him. She actually picked that phone back up and called him. "We should talk more." She couldn't hold back a smile, but she was hoping he wouldn't notice.

"What about?"

"Well…I think it would be easier if I told you in person. So could you fly over here real quick?"

"Are you serious."

"Very."

"Allright I'll be there." He hung up the phone.

Sam watched for him out the window and pretty soon she saw the dragon-boy flying through the cold air all the way to the doorstep of her home where he changed into human form. Sam greeted Garth with a hug. And then she backed away to take a good look at him. She hadn't seen him since December 31st. He had gotten taller, or at least he looked it because he had been starved for the past month.

Sam looked at him until she met his gaze. "Ya know, these past few days I've been changing a lot. I learned to let Danny go. I also stood up to my parents. So there's no reason why I can't confess to you right here right now that I…I think I'm in love with you."

Tucker would like to say that he finally made his move on Danielle, but instead he just focused more on video games. There hadn't been any recent ghost attacks nearby, so that gave everybody a chance to dive into their social lives.

At school, Valerie began to hang out with her popular friends more and more instead of hanging out with Danny. Valerie still saw Danny in their classes, but at school she began to avoid him. And he began to notice. Maybe that was because she had found out about the story Paulina told? Valerie could hear Paulina's love-struck voice repeating through her head all day. "…_And the ghost boy swept me off my feet and he carried me off into the sunset_…"

Paulina said that had happened recently. And now that Valerie _knew_ everything, she had a hard time believing anything Danny had said. But she decided to keep this all to herself for now.

Danny was Cecelia's personal trainer for her special powers and she came over to his house every Monday after school, and sometimes more. Even though the two had different powers, they were discovering similarities in how to put them to use.

And in turn, Cecelia was teaching Danny martial arts. All of a sudden, on one of their dates, they started finishing each other's sentences. Soon they wouldn't even have to say a word. When Cecelia or Danny made a mistake, they found it best to just laugh it off instead of getting mad. And they shared a _lot_ of laughs.

Later, as Danielle was doing some ghost research that Danny made her do, she began to realize something that all ghosts had in common. They all have a _lair_. Danny came into the room and asked what she was doing and she told him.

"_I _don't have a lair." Danny argued.

"Yes, exactly, and that's exactly why you, me, and Garth are going to go into the ghost zone in a few days and we're going to purchase a lair." Danielle said with confidence.

"You can't just "purchase" one."

"Uh, yes we can. And we will."

Danny groaned in protest. "But I don't wanna."

"Well you're gonna."

"Fine." He gave in because of all the benefits of having a lair. That was something that the team as a whole needed to think about.

That night, Danny had a dream. And it was one of those dreams where you wake up just before the conclusion of a long line of events. In this dream, Danny and his friends were trapped in a strange place that looked like home. But it was not. And Danny was afraid. He was afraid of losing his friends. And no matter what he did he could not shake the memory of that awful dream.

Somewhere, far away, Wenn had transmitted the dream to Danny. Few Tossi had been able to penetrate the dreams of another person, especially from so far away of a distance. It was a skill Wenn had been practicing for a very long time. _"That's the vision I had of you, Phantom. And it's going to be your future because I'm going to make it happen."_

The people of the world can be cruel, nosy, perverted, self-centered and irritating. So what if the world knew about halfas? And dragons and Tossi and people with battlesuits and girls with strange electric powers…what would people think?


	40. Chapter 38: Dangers Of MarySue

**This is basically a redo of my anti-mary-sue oneshot, only this one is interjected into the canon of the story. **

**Review plz :D**

**Chapter 38: The Dangers of Mary-Sue**

One day Danny Fenton went to school and there was somebody waiting by his locker before first period had even started. She had long blond hair and blue eyes and she was very sexy.

"Hi! I'm Mary-Sue Angelica Fuffyhair! I'm new here and I'm a goth but, I'm very happy and very nice, unlike that _Sam_ Manson I've heard about. She's uber mean. Danny, you and I should be best friends!"

Danny's eyebrows rose. He was so totally confused.

"You don't remember me?" Said Mary distraught.

"Um…I think I'd remember meeting someone…someone like you." Danny laughed awkwardly.

"Well you _should_! You and I lived on the same street when we were six all the way up until I moved during eighth grade. But now I'm BACK! For no apparent reason! But seriously, you should remember me. We went to the same schools and everything. We even had the same birthday and we had the same bike and we both had older annoying sisters. You and I also both wanted to be astronauts and we both loved motorcycles…"

"I get the point." Danny said quickly. He had this vague memory of a little blond girl who used to follow him around all the time. Whenever she'd ask him about things that he liked, he'd answer her, but then she'd say something like "Oh I like that too!" And Danny avoided her as much as possible.

"Hey what class do you have next?"

"Uh, chemistry…maybe…"

"No WAAAYY! Me too! Isn't that WEIRD?" She said with a smile. "Come on!" She dragged him onward to the classroom even though it was her first day and she hadn't ever been to the classroom before.

_But Mary-Sue led the way._

In chemistry class, Mary and Danny sat together, and she like totally made him ignore all of his friends. Tucker, Cecelia, and Sam were even waiting for Danny before walking to lunch together.

But Danny had already walked to his lunch table in effort to evade Mary. But soon she spotted him, "_Hi_ Danny!" (Like it's easy to spot the average-looking kid with black hair and blue eyes when the majority of the population of Amity Park has black hair and/or blue or blue-green eyes.) Mary sat down right next to Danny so that her arm brushed up against his shoulder.

Soon Danny's REAL friends found him sitting at their usual table and they sat down with him.

"Danny have you been avoiding us?" Sam asked blatantly.

Tucker elbowed her because that was a rude thing to say. "Gee, Sam. Danny doesn't have to hang out with us all the time. Maybe he has other friends…" This was Tucker's way of hinting.

"_Hi_, guys! I'm Mary-Sue and I'm new here! You probably don't remember me, but I remember you! _Hi_ Tucker! _You_ used to have a crush on me."

"No I didn't." He said quickly.

"Yes you did. Gosh, you were so cute when you were younger." Mary sighed happily.

"Gosh, I'm sure you remember me too." Sam said with heavy sarcasm.

"Unfortunately, yes." Mary's voice suddenly turned grim. "You were the meanest, skinniest, most self-centered little freak I've ever met." Mary growled.

Sam growled at Mary in an unearthly tone. "You're a horrible little b—"

Tucker put his hand over Sam's mouth and chuckled awkwardly. "Heh heh, you know Sam! Always saying what she means!" He tried to keep Mary and Sam from verbally attacking each other again. But it wasn't working.

"I HATE YOU SAM MANSON! You're like the devil in Pauley Perette's body!" Mary shouted viciously.

"I—_unfortunately_—never did anything to you! So you have no reason to hate me you b—"

"Sam doesn't mean it!" Tucker joined the catfight.

"Oh yes I do!"

"Oh no you don't." Mary and Tucker said at the same time.

"Funny how we agree." Mary smiled flirtatiously at Tucker.

"Ughh." Tucker recoiled.

Valerie walked over to the table and pointed her finger right at Mary. "Gosh! _I_ remember you." (She seemed to be the only one.) "You're Paulina's cousin. I remember Paulina's seventh birthday specifically. You came over to her house all the time and you wanted to be just like her."

Paulina conveniently walked by.

"_Hi_ Paulina!"

"Oh hi, Mary." Paulina said with disgust. "You just think because you're pretty like me and self-oriented like me AND a cheerleader like me that you can just dance in here and suddenly become the most popular girl in school like me? Nu-uh." She walked away cussing in Spanish.

"Um, I'm lost here. Who are you exactly?" Cecelia said. Danny, Sam, Tucker and Mary all turned to look at her.

"Well for your information, chub bucket, I'm Mary-Sue and I used to be Danny's best friend forever."

Cecelia took a deep breath and stood up to go punch Mary in the face for calling her chubby. Danny held Cecelia back and it took much effort.

"So, yeah, Danny and I should pretty much date now." Mary said confidently. "Danny and I go so far back it's so hilarious that it's not even funny."

"Ahem, _I'm_ dating Danny." Cecelia said confidently.

Danny tried to ignore Mary and focus on his _real_ friends. He looked at Tucker, which was the one who started to talk now.

"So are we cool to go to you-know-where after you-know-what?" Tucker asked casually.

Danny, Cecelia and Sam all face-palmed.

"What?" Tucker was confused.

"Ooo! You guys are all going to the Nasty Burger after school! COOL! I'll be there." She said as the bell rang.

Oh my gosh, she actually got up by herself this time and didn't wait for Danny to walk to class with her!

Danny pulled his real friends aside and told them, "Okay, thanks to _Tucker_,"

"Sorry!" He squeaked.

"Our meeting will be held at my place _instead_ of the Nasty Burger."

Everyone agreed and then they dispersed.

After school was over, Danny and his friends—Tucker, Sam, Cecelia and Garth all met up at Danny and Danielle's house for a Team Phantom meeting in the living room.

"…Okay guys, so the main issue today I'd like to talk to you about is Skulker." Danny said to the group. "He hasn't been hunting me in a while, so everybody be on the lookout for him—"

They heard footsteps coming and they jumped when they heard, "Oh _hi_ Danny!"

Danny half-heartedly hoped it was Skulker.

But no, it was worse.

It was…_Mary-Sue_!

"How did you know we were here?" Cecelia demanded.

"How did you get in my house?" Danny said exasperated.

"Oh, I walked home with you guys." Mary invited herself onto the couch most of them were sitting on.

"You mean you followed us." Cecelia said.

"We're having a private meeting here! Don't you even have the manners to ASK to join our group?" Sam bellowed.

Mary stared at her blankly.

"Aw come on, you're not little Ms. Perfect that you can just be friends with everyone you meet." Said Garth. "This is NOT how you make friends."

Mary looked downward in a pout. "But I AM perfect."

"Nobody's perfect, _Mary_." Sam sneered. "I can be selfish, rude, and judgmental, and I think my ideas are always best, but I have to learn to listen to other peoples' ideas because they might have accounted for something that I left out. But even with all of that, I'm still a good person. And I've got good friends here who will vouch for me in case you don't believe me, because I _know_ you _don't_."

"W-w-what are you implying?" Mary tried to keep her cool despite having been insulted, sort of.

"And sometimes I'm not as brave as I should be." Danny confessed.

"And I tend to be a little narrow-minded and I overestimate what I can handle." Cecelia contributed.

"I can be ice cold sometimes without even knowing it. I also blow off my friends when I get upset." Garth said.

With each confession, Mary's face looked more and more alarmed.

"And I'm _certainly_ not perfect. I'm not very strong but I try my hardest and make do on what I have." Danielle said.

"Me? Oh yeah. I'm the last one left." Tucker said. Everyone looked at him, waiting to hear his flaw. "Well, guys, it might surprise you, but I'm not the ladies' man I always made myself out to be."

"No kidding." Said Sam under a cough.

"See, we've all got something that makes us human." Danny said.

"Except you, of course." Cecelia said to Mary.

Mary's eye twitched as she looked at each of them. "Im-p-p-erfection!" She stuttered. Then she ran out the door screaming "Aaaaahhh! Imperfection! Imperfection! I can't TAKE IT ANYMORE! AAAhhh!" And there was a large crashing sound.

Not one of the seven friends ever got up to investigate.

"Maybe a bird took a poop on her." Garth said.

"Maybe she got lucky and hit a car." Said Sam gothically.

"Or she got abducted by aliens." Tucker said with a smile.

"Guys, come on, get real. That was definitely the sound of an explosion." Danielle said. "So she must have blown up."

Everybody started to laugh.

From that day forth, none of them ever saw Mary-Sue Angelica Fluffyhair ever again, ever, and her disappearance was never explained ever, but all the friends knew it that they wanted to forget her. Forever.

And thus was the end of the Mary-Sue.

Danny's life was slowly forming into a cycle now that everything was getting back to normal. It all started on his Valentine's Day date with Cecelia where he hung out with her and then flew her home where they kissed passionately on the couch. That was the worst possible time for the Box Ghost to attack, right? Well, the Box Ghost didn't seem to care about Danny and his youthful infatuations.

Immediately, Cecelia went from being Danny's cute girlfriend to a ghost-fighter. And together, Danny and Cecelia scared away the Box Ghost. Danny looked at Cecelia and he realized that she had definitely been improving on her aim and the use of her powers because she had horrible aim before.

On another day in late February, a similar situation happened. Danny and Cecelia were hanging out at Nasty Burger after school and Lunchabel decided then and there to take over the restaurant. Danny desired only justice, which is part of what makes him a hero.

And sometimes, late at night, when Danny was in that mindset between asleep and awake, he would fantasize what his life would be like if a few more people knew his secret.

How would Dash and Paulina take it? How would Danny's parents take it? And how would Danny be treated?

Danny would enjoy exploring in the ghost zone too. And he'd get to do just that once Garth finally acquires a lair for them. (Garth had been telling his friends that he'd get around to it but he never actually did.) Danny couldn't wait to have his own ghost lair! He'd be just another resident ghost in the ghost zone. Well, it wouldn't completely his own, because he'd be sharing with his sister and Garth. And they'd have Team Phantom meetings there so they would never have to worry about their parents eavesdropping on their conversations.

The team had kind of envisioned the lair as a sort of apartment house that they all will hang out at or sleep over from time to time and none of them would actually live there. It would be sorta like a clubhouse.

There was just so much going on right now. He was confused whether or not he admired Valerie more or feared losing her friendship more. He was beginning to feel like his human life was overpowering his ghost life. He and Cecelia had been spending time together every day, whether it was with training or dating. Danny was also stressed about midterms.

And to top that all off, in his most vulnerable points he felt this strange headache. But it wasn't a _real_ headache. It comes and goes. He wondered where it was coming from. And then Danny would have some awful nightmares about Wenn and the Tossi attacking the ghost zone. Danny would sometimes wake up screaming.

He wanted to find a happy place, and he thought of Cecelia. Danny needed a lot of love and comfort right now. He tried to take solace in the fact that he never had to fight anything alone—Cecelia, Danielle, Tucker, Sam, and Garth were always by his side.


	41. Chapter 39: A Happy Birthday

**Happy birthday Danny! What sorts of presents will he get from all his friends? find out and see!**

**Chapter 39: A Happy Birthday**

Groggy Danny opened his eyes. He heard the interminable monotone noise coming from his alarm clock. He pressed down on the button to turn it off. That meant it was time for school. Danny departed down the stairs slowly.

Danny's parents and his sister were sitting around the table waiting for him. "Happy birthday Danny." Danielle smiled, trying to brighten him up.

"We made blueberry pancakes for you, son!" Said Maddie cheerfully.

"Happy seventeenth birthday!" Jack engulfed Danny in a big bear hug.

Danny smiled at the breakfast that was in front of him. It was his favorite kind and he didn't usually get the time to enjoy these things very often because of all the responsibility he had in his life. He was ever so grateful for this time to just enjoy himself.

"Happy birthday to you…" Danny's family sang to him as they brought out a cake too. "Happy birthday dear Danny, happy birthday to you!"

Danny couldn't stop smiling. He felt really special. He blew out the candles. He only had that split second to think of a wish, but he really didn't know what to wish for. "I wish to have a fantastic birthday." The moment he said that in his mind, he realized what a lousy wish it was. Oh well, he shrugged.

Danny took the first slice of cake. It was marble—his favorite. Danielle took the second piece and she and Danny sat close together. She leaned in to whisper something in Danny's ear when Jack said, "Danny, Jazz wants to wish you a happy birthday!" Jack handed over his cell phone to Danny. Danielle could hear Jazz singing the birthday song loudly and off-key.

Danny smiled. "Thanks big sis."

After the breakfast, Danny was ready to "walk to school" (as he told his parents, because he flew) when Maddie insisted that Danny be driven to school because it was his birthday, Danielle looked worried. There were many reasons for him to _fly_ to school and one was time: a luxury for which they had not accounted today. And with Maddie driving, Danny'd be late for school undoubtedly.

He was, of course, no less than ten minutes late when he hurried into his first period class. Mr. Lancer noticed the teen trying to sneak in anonymously. "Well, look who decided to show up…" Mr. Lancer snorted. Immediately, the blood rushed to Danny's head and he felt faint. He had been late to school every time his parents found an excuse to drive him. He was worried now that Lancer knew he would not forgive him. Lancer approached Danny's desk slowly and every teen in the room looked back and forth between the two. "…The birthday boy!"

Lancer said happily. Instantaneously the class cheered for Danny and they began to sing to him. "Whew!" He sighed.

From the other side of the classroom approached Tucker and Sam with a pair of presents that they set on Danny's desk. Cecelia added one too, and then so did Valerie. "This is from Garth." Sam added another present on the pile. Lastly, Mr. Lancer had a small homework pass for Danny, which made him happy to see.

Danny couldn't stop smiling.

"Open them now!" The class urged.

Danny looked at the teacher for approval.

"Go right ahead. I've always had a soft spot for birthdays." Mr. Lancer smiled confidently.

Danny picked up the first present. It was Tucker's. He didn't even have to guess because he knew exactly what it was even as he was tearing off the paper. "A new video game. Thanks man."

"You're welcome, dude."

The next present Danny saw was Sam's. He opened the black package. It was a scarf, hat, and a pair of gloves. "How thoughtful." Danny said gratefully.

"You're welcome." She said.

The next present was Cecelia's. Her gift to him was a shirt—all blue, and it had a photo of NASA on it which was Danny's dream place to work. "Oh my, thank you I love it."

Cecelia nodded, knowing he would, and then she kissed him on the firehead.

Next gift was the one from Garth. The item was a pair of black biker gloves with the image of an orange dragon on the palms. So Garth. Not very Danny. But it was the thought that counts.

Even _Dash_ wished Danny a happy birthday.

Cecelia stood in front of Danny's desk. "Here." She handed him the small package. "I wanted you to open this last." She smiled.

There was a reason she'd wanted her gift to be the last to be opened. It was a black box. Danny opened it. Inside was an airline ticket to Washington D.C. Danny didn't know what to make of it. "What's this for?" He looked up at her.

"My father's been transferred there and he invited me and a few of my friends to travel there for free."

Danny had no words to say. He was so confused. He didn't understand how Mortimer Hazel could've agreed to this.

"So you, me, Tucker, Danielle, Sam and Garth are all going."

"Cool!"

The rest of Danny's friends smiled at him. They knew Cecelia hadn't said the best part yet.

"And could you ever guess what…else is in Washington D.C.?" She laughed.

Danny shook his head.

"NASA."

"NASA. NASA? NASA? I'm going to NASA?" Danny stood up and shouted, "I'M GOIN' TO NASA!" Victoriously he raised his arms up in the air. And then he remembered he was still in class and he sat back down awkwardly. "I'm going to NASA." He whispered to each of his friends and they were each amused in their own way at his overreaction. He was talking about it all day and everybody thought it was quite funny.

Danny, Cecelia, Sam, and Tucker all walked to Danny's house together. Danny unlocked the front door and there were Danielle and Garth. "How did you like my present?" Garth asked.

"They're cool." Danny turned to his sister. "What did you want to say to me earlier?"

"She wanted to warn you about what we planned for you and she probably wanted to give you the present she got for you." Tucker answered for Danielle.

Danielle nodded. "You're present's sitting right there on the dining room table."

Danny, followed by the rest of his friends, entered the dining room. On the table was a small red box with a ribbon on it. Danny opened it. It was a small pair of keys. Car keys? No. These keys were green. _Glowing_ green.

"Follow me." Danielle led her brother to the garage and flipped the light switch. Abroad stood a magnificent green-black-and-white motorcycle. "That's awesome!" Danny said. He gave Danielle the hardest-squeezing hug ever. "Wait. How did you afford it?"

"I didn't; it was a gift itself. Apparently, Lyon felt bad about putting Garth in jail for no good reason, so Lyon had this addressed to all six of us."

"We unanimously decided to give it to you." Garth said.

"Since you do so much for us." Cecelia added. "And you could use it the most." She hugged him.

"We want you to have a fantastic birthday." Tucker said.

"Do you like it?" Danielle asked with a smile.

"Like it? I love it! It's the best present ever—well, besides going to Washington D.C." Danny turned to his friends. "I love you guys!" He gave them each a hug. "You all are the best friends I could ever ask for and I don't know what I'd do without you."

"By the way, Garth started the process of getting us a lair in the ghost zone." Danielle tried to tell him when he was all happy so he wouldn't overreact. But that didn't work as well as Danny hoped.

Danny turned around and faced her. "Wait, he did WHAT?"

Danielle and Garth nodded.

Danny took a few seconds to think about this. "So it'll be our own private residence? For team meetings and stuff?" Danny was about to burst. This day just couldn't get any better!

"Yes." Garth said.

"Belonging to all six of us?"

"No. Only to ghosts. That's you, me, and Danielle. But there's no rule that says the rest of you guys can't come visit whenever you want." Garth looked at each of them. They all nodded in agreement. "If that's all, then I'd like to excuse myself to my work shift. It starts at four." Garth left.

"Oh! I almost forgot. I gotta jet too." Tucker said. He went home.

That left Danny and the girls.

Sam felt awkward. "I suppose I'll be going home now."

Cecelia took Danny's arm and pulled him aside. She took a small package out of her backpack. "What's this?" He asked as he was unwrapping it.

"You didn't think I'd forget to give you a _real_ present, did you?" She smiled at the boy. "This is just a special gift…because _you're_ special to _me_."

It was a black hoodie with the Danny Phantom emblem on it in neon green thread. "Whoa, you sewed this?" He asked in disbelief.

"No—I'm horrible at sewing!" She giggled awkwardly, "I had it custom made just for you." She said kindly.

Danny kissed her lightly.


	42. Chapter 40: The Offer He Can't Refuse

**Yup. Another chapter. Here it is! hope you enjoy!**

**Chapter 40: The Offer He Can't Refuse**

The next day, Cecelia called Valerie and told her what she had done for Danny. Cecelia even asked Valerie if she would like to come, but she declined.

Inwardly, Cecelia was struggling every day to have to choose between her best friend and her boyfriend. In the end, ultimately, Cecelia knew that she loves Danny more and is going to stop at nothing to make him happy. She spent the next week planning and packing to make this trip worthwhile for herself and all of her friends.

The flight was at six-thirty in the morning. Danny, Cecelia, Tucker, Danielle, Garth and Sam were going to Washington D.C. as part of Danny's birthday present. But really, this was more of a gift to all of them.

The gang was tired and dreary because the majority of them had spent the last night making last minute packing preparations. Danny especially was feeling tired. He didn't get one wink of sleep at all. It had always been his dream to visit NASA, and this was his first—and possibly his _only_ chance of realizing it.

It was three people to a seat. Danny found an empty booth and sat down in the middle of the two seats. Tucker and Cecelia sat on either side of him. Across from Danny sat Danielle and a little old lady. Somewhere else in the airplane sat Sam and Garth, who were both tired beyond imagination.

Cecelia, in fact, seemed to be the only person on that plane who wasn't fighting to keep her eyes open. Once the takeoff commenced, Danny leaned on Cecelia's shoulder and fell asleep.

Danielle had her elbow on the armrest with her chin in her hand and her eyes closed. Tucker was listening to music and he closed his eyes as well.

Cecelia wished they hadn't left her all alone like this. For her, the flight was boring backpacks no matter how hard she tried, she could not fall asleep. Tucker was snoring.

The hotel was called Burgundy Lakes, and the title was misleading because there were no such things as burgundy lakes.

Garth got a bellhop to come and help with the luggage. The front desk was enormous. And one could just barely see over the counter.

"I'll check us in." Cecelia volunteered.

"I'll carry your bag." Tucker said to Danielle.

He winked at her and she smiled and shook her head. "I've got it, thanks."

They had to make two trips up the elevator before every one and every thing was on the fourth floor.

"Room 406." Cecelia announced and waved the blue card up in the air. She led the way and swiped the card through the card-reader. With a twist of the knob, the door flipped open. "Wow."

"Nice." Said Danny. "Be sure to thank your dad." He said to Cecelia.

"I must have thanked him a million times already…but…geez, this deserves another one!" Cecelia replied with a broad smile that stretched across her puffy cheeks.

"My parents used to rent rooms like this when we went on vacations." Sam said. Cecelia and Danny rolled their eyes.

The room's wallpaper was a rich nut brown and the ceiling was the same color. The floor was grey carpet and the trim was gold. The bed coverings matched the gold trim and the pillows were light green. There was a television in the center of the suite. The bathroom was large—with a bathtub so large it could probably fit all seven of them inside. The toilet was so shiny and polished that it looked brand new.

Tucker sniffed it. "Ah, I love that new toilet smell."

The beds were queen-sized, and there were two of them. This was going to get awkward no matter what. Nobody was looking forward to sharing.

Cecelia sent her father a text to notify them that they'd all made it here safely. "Dad would like to meet us at lunch, and then, give us a tour of NASA."

In their own way, the others cheered. Danny was the only one who cheered out loud. He gave Cecelia a loose hug. She kissed him on the forehead.

The six teens met Mortimer Hazel at a café that had a pretty good view of NASA—it was right next to it. Danny couldn't tear his eyes from the place during the whole meal. Most of the lunch time was spent listening to Tucker go on and on about his newest PDA. Tucker was convinced he was going to get a good career for himself as a software king because he'd already gotten a scholarship to a university of technology.

"What exactly do you _do_, Mr. Hazel?" Danielle took advantage of the brief time in which Tucker was not talking.

"Oh well I've invented shields and other security precautions to keep NASA's computers and buildings ghost-free. They're all astronauts and technology experts, so I'm the only one who knows how to work everything. Pays quite a large sum of money, this job. And my work's never done." Mortimer Hazel stood up and stretched, now that everybody had finished the meal.

"Mr. Hazel, sir, what are the chances—theoretically speaking here—of somebody getting a summer internship here? At NASA?" Danny asked.

"The odds aren't with you on that one, I'm afraid." Mortimer said. "But, it is possible, however, if your grades are superbly stellar."

"Danny's got great grades." Cecelia added.

"My grades are pretty fair." Danny agreed.

Mortimer showed the group to his station first. Mortimer had a nice little blue cubicle about the size of a master bedroom. There were a few desks, a swivel chair, and a giant clutter of papers all around. "Excuse the mess." Mortimer said.

Danny's eyes were locked on the space shuttle that he could see from the window. Mortimer put his hand on the boy's shoulder and said in a hushed tone, "I can see you're really into this."

"Yes, sir, I've wanted to become an astronaut from the time I could talk."

"I'll put in a good word for you. My boss might like you. We're going to meet him next. His name is Mr. Hawkins."

Next, everybody followed Mr. Hazel for a show around the message system. The giant building had its own way of circulating memos to everybody. There was at least one secretary on every floor. There were men whose jobs solely orbited around them delivering memos to the computer crew.

Danny seemed to be the most thrilled out of everybody. Sam was becoming extremely bored, and Tucker didn't like the long walk. Sam was making obnoxious grunts and annoying complaints about all the time spent. Cecelia and Danielle were both getting fed up. Cecelia was ready to say something to Sam, but Danielle held her back.

Garth and Danielle had to keep their friends in the spirit of things, for Danny's sake. He does so much for them; so, the least they can do is make him happy.

"It's only one day." Danielle assured Sam in a whisper. Sam scoffed. Danielle rolled her eyes. "I'm just letting you know that you can either choose to enjoy this for Danny's sake or keep acting like a child."

Sam glared intensely.

"Oh yeah, I said it. And I'm not taking it back." Danielle stood her ground.

Sam backed down reluctantly.

Cecelia clapped softly in approval to her BFF.

Tucker stopped dead when he saw a big man in a blue uniform talking to one of the secretaries. "Whoa." Tucker's face froze in that expression. He tugged on the shirt of the person standing closest to him, which happened to be Garth. "Do you guys know who _that_ is?"

"That's my boss." Said Mortimer as the man approached.

"Gerald Hawkins? The same man who approved my request to go to the University of Technology?" Tucker said in awe.

"Apparently…" said Mortimer.

"Hello, Mr. Foley. What brings you here?" asked Mr. Hawkins.

"Our friend, Cecelia, is Mr. Hazel's daughter." Tuck explained.

Mr. Hawkins barely had a chance to react when Tucker presented Danny in front of him.

"This…is Danny. Danny Fenton. He wants to be an astronaut. You should totally hire him for a summer…internship…thingy." Tucker laughed nervously.

"Yeah, definitely!" Cecelia tried to help.

Danielle threw in a "He'll be the best employee you will ever hire."

Mr. Hawkins was a patient man, but did not like to be put on the spot. "I'm sorry, but there are no spots available, Danny." He said woefully.

The tour proceeded, but Danny no longer cared.

His spirit was broken. Would he ever get another chance? Maybe when he was older and more experienced, he could apply.

It was nine o'clock in the night when the idea came top Danny. He was sitting on the hotel bed putting on his slippers and his loose pajama cap when he realized that Mr. Hawkins might be more willing to hire somebody he knew than just a random boy like Danny Fenton.

What would Mr. Hawkins say if Danny _Phantom_ asked for an internship? The famous hero Danny Phantom? It was an offer Hawkins couldn't afford to refuse.

Danny was smiling smugly just as Cecelia came out of the bathroom. "Everybody's still brushing their teeth. It was getting a little crowded in there." Cecelia was in her pale green nightgown, and her hair was down. It wasn't brushed, but that was okay. She inched toward where Danny was sitting on the bed. "How are you going to take it? I mean, I know it was always your dream, but, well, I know you…and I know…you're not going to give up."

"You're right." Danny said, still smiling. He stood next to her now. They were very close.

"Valerie texted me earlier today. Told me she'd gotten back together with her old boyfriend Bob."

"Yeah, I remember him." Danny said. "He's Tucker's cousin, and he's a good person. I'm happy for Valerie."

"Me too." Cecelia took a deep breath and held Danny's hand tightly. Her voice might have been shaking a little. "So, now that she's all taken care of…maybe you and I, we could, go steady?"

"Sure!" Danny smiled. they shared a warm hug and kissed. He held her tightly, not wanting to ever lose her. He was glad he made a right choice for once by telling her how he felt.

Cecelia leaned back and just let him kiss her over and over. It was suddenly very hot in the room and she couldn't hold him close enough. They fell asleep in the bed.

That night, Tucker dragged Garth down to the game room. He really didn't want to go, but Tucker insisted he'd buy Garth some candy for his trouble. This left Danielle and Sam awake in the room.

Having nothing better to do on a vacation, Danielle sat out on the little chair on the balcony while she took extra special care to fix her hair. She pulled out her cell phone and browsed the internet for music. She put her headphones in so none of the neighbors would have to hear the rock-pop tunes. Eventually, Danielle, too fell asleep.

Sam was bored. She couldn't turn on the television because she didn't want to wake up Danielle and Cecelia. Sam didn't want to turn on the fireplace because there was no point in that. She didn't have anyone to text or call, and Danielle was occupying the one and only chair out on the balcony. Sam decided to take a nap on the couch.

Garth and Tucker ended up having only enough tickets to buy laser light, which Tucker was amused by. Garth let Tucker sleep in the only free bed while he himself slept on the floor next to the couch where Sam had fallen asleep.

First thing in the morning—before sunrise, actually—Danny woke up. Gently and carefully, he pushed the sleeping Cecelia off of him. she was vaguely aware that he was there because she opened her eyes for one brief moment, only to close them again and fall back asleep. Danny pulled all of her hair to one side so it would not tangle around her when she woke up.

Danny shoved a granola bar into his mouth and flew off to NASA before anyone else could wake up.

"Danny Phantom!"

"Wow!"

"Cool!"

"My kid loves you!"

The moment that Danny entered the building, attention was immediately drawn to him. It was probably the glowing green eyes that gave him away. He asked a secretary for the directions to Mr. Hawkins's office.

"Right down that hall and then take a left, a right, and then a left and you're there."

"Thanks."

"Wait! Can I have your autograph?"

Danny's eyebrows rose. It was still early in the morning and he hadn't expected to go ghost at all during this little vacation. So he was still in his old Fenton habits. "Sure." He signed her coffee mug with a permanent marker and she squealed in delight.

The next thing Danny knew, he was knocking at the office of Gerald Hawkins. Before he could knock a second time, he felt something clod and metal prodding at his spine.

"Don't. Move. A. Muscle, ghost _punk_." A small, elite, steel-toed SWAT team of three men cornered Danny. Danny put his hands in the air. "I don't know how you got past the ghost shield, but, where you're going there won't be any need to ask questions." Although Danny could not see the man's face, he knew he was sneering.

Danny let out a sigh of relief as Gerald Hawkins opened the door. "What's all the—_Danny Phantom_?" Gerald gasped and put his hand on his heart. "You? Here? Standing at the door to _my_ office?"

Danny clenched his teeth, wondering if the man's exasperation was for good or bad reasons.

"Shoo! Shoo, boys! Don't you know a hero when you see one? This is Danny Phantom! He's the one that saved us from the Disasteroid two years ago!"

At Hawkins's command, the SWAT guys dispatched.

"Danny's a _good_ ghost. And those are very rare, mind you." Gerald informed them as they walked away. "Come in, Danny." Gerald put his arm around Danny and closed the door behind them.

Gerald Hawkins had an office with two walls entirely made up of windowpane glass. It was stellar. The desk was big and black and could probably seat twelve people around it, though there was only one chair. The carpet was soft and mushy, and it sunk beneath the feet. There was a coffee table and a few lounge chairs with a radio and television in the center of the room. That's where Danny and Gerald sat while Danny explained how he'd wished to apply.

"Hmm. Well, since all our internships for this summer are filled up, you can come back your senior year and I'll have a spot saved just for you! How about that? A hero, coming to work for NASA!" Gerald was bursting with excitement and Danny was about to burst too.

The rest of the week was spent visiting monuments and parks and stuff—nothing compared to NASA, which was all Danny could think about. Danny was otherwise occupied.

Garth and Sam seemed to be falling for each other more and more as the week progressed. They found themselves getting wrapped up in those slightly-awkward battles between pride and desire. Sam wanted to maintain her dignity while falling head over heels for this guy who was tall, dark, and strong, and undoubtedly her perfect match.

She was beginning to melt down his cold exterior. Sam has a way of being very personal and precise. That annoys most people, but Garth actually needs it. He knows it, too.

Danielle and Tucker were now sort of unofficially dating. Everybody seemed to think they were so cute together, so they decided to take a chance and kiss during one of the many photos the group took together.

The steady couple—Danny and Cecelia—was what linked all the friends together. The year began with Sam and Tucker being Danny's friends, and Danielle and Garth being Cecelia's friends. Somewhere along the timeline, the six of them have all intertwined to form this team of friends where everybody knows their place, and everybody is happy with it.

This week was filled with tasty hot Italian dinners, exotically colored desserts, many photos (courtesy of Danielle), bags of souvenirs, and loads and loads of kisses from the couples.

Danielle was set on getting at least one picture of Sam and Garth by themselves, and she made them stand in front of the wishing fountain with the sun beating down on their backs.

"Kiss." Danielle commanded.

Garth kissed her ever so slightly. Sam wasn't expecting that and everybody could tell. "So this makes us an official couple then?" Sam asked.

"Yup." Garth brushed the little black bangs out of her eyes. He and Sam didn't let go of each other for the rest of the day.

Tucker and Danielle were holding hands, and Danny had his arm around Cecelia. Everything was absolutely perfect! Nothing could mess this up! It was like living on cloud nine.

_Danny_. _Danny was amazing_, Cecelia thought. And he seemed so happy the whole week. Having a recent breakup didn't seem to affect him at all. Yes indeed, Danny was the bravest and coolest guy in the universe. _I love D.C._, Cecelia thought.

And so Danny Fenton left Washington D.C. having realized one of his greatest dreams. Nothing could make his life any better, except maybe getting his own ghost lair, of course.


	43. Chapter 41: My Lair Is Your Lair

**One of my personal favorite chapters is right here! the big party is just beginning! enjoy!**

**Chapter 41: My Lair is Your Lair**

"There it is, guys." Garth and the gang now stood in front of a nice little cavern at the edge of the ghost zone. It was close to the portal, so they didn't even need to take the Specter Speeder to get here. "I think it was well worth the wait." Garth stood proudly, chest inflated and smiling broadly, proud that he'd finally gotten a lair for them.

"It must be three stories tall." Cecelia gaped in awe. "This is the coolest meeting spot ever."

"And since it's a cave, it'll be nice and dark." Sam relaxed.

"And it's FREE!" Tucker threw his arms in the air.

"We'll be having a "Welcome Home" party like you talked about, right Danny?" Danielle urged.

Danny concentrated. "Why not?"

They all smiled.

"But who are we gonna invite?" Danny asked, and their smiles faded.

"Jazz?" Tucker suggested.

"She's got a big test tomorrow to study for." Said Danny.

"Valerie?" Cecelia suggested.

"Midnight?" Tucker suggested.

"We don't know where to contact Midnight." said Danielle. "But Valerie is definitely a possibility."

"We could invite her new boyfriend too." Cecelia added. "Bob Foley."

Tucker scoffed. Sam elbowed him. "That sounds great." Sam said. "But we're going to need to get him used to the idea of…"

"…Us." Danny said. "Danielle's and my halfa-secret, Cecelia's secret, Garth's secret, but I guess we _could_ use another guy on the team."

"How about _me_?"

The group was overall startled to see a red ghost in a top hat appear in front of them.

"Who're YOU?" Cecelia asked, crossing her arms.

"This is private property." Sam said self-righteously.

"I am Perniculous, the ghost of magic. And I am also your neighbor, as it would appear." He said in a sing-song voice, which quickly annoyed Sam and Garth. They exchanged disapproving glances. Perniculous pulled an elongated wand out of his pocket. "See? I'm a magician!"

Danny's eyelids drooped. This guy was really irritating, but it was no mystery to Team Phantom that he had no other friends. And there were no other neighbors around.

Sam elbowed Danny, amazed that he was even considering inviting Perniculous to their private little party. "Danny, _don't_…"

"Danny, don't listen to her." Cecelia whispered. "It would be downright mean to exclude the neighbors."

"Yes! Listen to the lovely lady right here!" Perniculous put his hands on Cecelia's shoulders. Sam cast a wicked glare at Cecelia. She returned the glare fiercely.

"The party starts in four hours. Be here in _exactly_ four hours." Danny droned.

"Whoopieee!" Perniculous did not hesitate to hug all six of them in the most obnoxious of ways. He especially hugged Danielle and Cecelia tightly, which annoyed the boys. Perniculous then returned to his small cave which shared a wall with Team Phantom's larger cave.

Garth—and just about everyone else—was relieved that the poltergeist had vanished. "Guys, let me give you a tour." Garth showed them inside the cave. It was lit by ghostly torches that do not burn out unless smoldered.

The main room had several seats, coffee tables and end tables. The natural ground was gravelly, so it was the team's intention to get the place carpeted.

In the main room, there was also a nice little stereo, which would be good for the party later.

There was a nice open kitchen in the main room which also had a large counter island with a barstool setup. There was only one bathroom in the place, however, but they'd make do. There were three very large bedrooms, each with two beds so people could spend the night.

"Where'd you get all the furniture, Garth?" Danny asked.

A look of slight guilt spread across Garth's face. "This is my furniture. I moved here after I was evicted from my own little home. I couldn't afford to pay the bills after everything went up. Since living in a lair is free of cost, I decided it'd be best for me if I live here. Sam, she, well, donated some money to me and that's how I got the extra beds. But other than them, everything else here is mine. So take good care of it, everybody."

"Garth, why didn't you tell us you were having money problems?" Danielle asked gently.

"We coulda helped you out, buddy." Tucker tried to cheer him up.

"Naw. I like it better here anyways." Garth fashioned a half-smile. "But thanks. My lair is your lair, so make yourselves at home."

Garth spent the next hour showing Danielle how to come by groceries in the ghost zone (the fridge was empty). Danny and Cecelia stayed at the lair and got a shield operational to ward off ghost enemies. All Danny, Garth, and Danielle would have to do was change back to human form and then they could pass in and out of the shield.

Other than that, the shield kept out all bothersome neighbors, namely, Klemper, who visited every new neighbor and asked if he could be their friend. It was Sam who chased away the fiend with one look of a nasty eye. Johnny and his girlfriend Kitty came to meet the new neighbors, but the moment they saw Danny Phantom, they fled the scene.

Ember was the next neighbor to visit. She wanted to investigate because she heard the blast of the stereo music and thought the new residents had good taste. When she caught a glimpse of exactly who had moved in, she rolled her eyes and flew away nonchalantly.

Ember must have told Skulker on the way, because he stopped by the lair too hoping to get Danny's pelt for his wall. Skulker was horrified to see Danny _waving_ to him, looking smug and not terrified at all. Skulker tried to blast Fenton right in the nose, but the blast didn't so much as seep past the ghost shield. Danny knew he was safe, and resumed singing along to the music with the rest of his friends.

Skulker was so enraged that hot steam emerged from his suit as he flew away.

Danielle was entertaining herself by making paper decorations for the walls of the cave. She made paper cutouts of the six of them and hung them high on the wall where they could not be disturbed accidentally. Then she patiently waited for Sam and Tucker to finish cooking the meal. Danielle occasionally sung along to the music when a good tune was on.

Cecelia was making popcorn. Danny organized everything neatly in the refrigerator. Garth was left to vacuum the place.

Danielle quickly called up Valerie to see if she was going to come. "Yeah, we have a lair now." Danielle explained it all to Valerie.

"Bob really isn't into the whole "supernatural" part of this."

"Just tell him the party's at a secret location and put a blindfold over his face."

"The only way to get him to come is if I fly us in."

"So…are you coming or not?"

Valerie groaned. "I guess I'm coming. Bob probably won't believe me when I tell him that you and Danny are half ghost."

"Then I'll have to show him."

"What?"

"I'll be right there." Danielle was lucky that the path back to the human world was villain-free at the moment. She flew to Valerie's house, where Val and Bob were presumably waiting.

It was getting late, so Danny decided to give his older sister Jazz a call. She was only an hour away from Amity Park if Danny flew to her college to pick her up. Then Danny could bring her back here just a little late for the party. "Jazz? Hi. Are you busy tonight?"

"I'll be studying all night. Big test. I must have mentioned it to you five times already…"

"Well, you're smart, Jazz and I know you know your stuff. Would it kill you to take _one_ night off? There's going to be a party tonight, but it won't be much of a party unless you're here."

"Aww, you're such a sweet little brother!" Jazz giggled and then she got all serious. "So what are you trying to butter me up for? Are you throwing a house party while mom and dad are away?"

"No…I'm throwing a party at Team Phantom's lair. I know you'll be curious."

"I am."

"So when can I pick you up?"

"Say…give me…fifteen minutes to get ready."

"Excellent." Danny smiled and closed his cell phone. He looked at his friends. "Jazz is coming!"

The group cheered. Danny walked out of the lair and changed into ghost form. But there, waiting for him around the corner were Johnny, Kitty, Ember and Skulker all with nasty grins on their faces. Danny shook his head at them in disapproval, not even considering all the atrocious things they could do to him now.

A bit surprised, they all stopped smiling. Danny flew away in the direction of the exit. Seeing as they had not scared him even a little, the villains departed all but one—Ember.

She followed him all the way up to the ghost portal where he was about to escape. "Danny, I'm not going to fire any more blasts at you. Just listen to me. I know you're a hero, and I also know that me and my buddies are a lot stronger than you. How about we make an alliance? I can see that you're getting bolder and stronger too."

"You just want to go to the party. So don't think you can sweet-talk me into letting down the ghost shield just so you can sneak in and destroy all our hard work, not to mention our home." Danny frowned.

Ember looked down, disgusted. Her eyebrows narrowed. Johnny, Kitty and Skulker were flying towards the two of them.

Danny's instincts told him to fly out of there before it was too late. But that's not what he did. "Why are you all following me?" He asked. His voice was not as loud as he expected it to be.

"We would like to go to the party, man." Johnny said as he revved the engine on his motorcycle.

"Yah, we never get a break!" Kitty agreed. "Walker caught us vandalizing a building the other day and he took away the home Johnny and I were living in!"

"So they came to live with Skulker and I." Said Ember.

"But my house was small to begin with, so having three extra people was not exactly…"

"Guys, stop it." Danny said.

"And my boss—Vlad—just fired me because he said I was a lousy hunter. So now I have no income!" Skulker said in almost a sob.

"You _are_ a lousy hunter." Ember whispered to him.

"So we're all living off Ember's concert money!" Kitty said.

"Why don't the rest of you get a job!" Danny said, feeling a little bit like a disappointed parent.

"Eugh! I'm not getting a _job_!" Kitty protested.

"Once a thief, always a thief." Said Johnny proudly.

Danny eyed each of them suspiciously.

"Please let us party!" Kitty begged and squeezed her eyes shut tightly. "Just for one night!"

"We'll never bother you again, we promise!" said Ember reluctantly.

"No more pelt-hunting." Skulker added in.

"And no bike chases." Johnny said. "Or attacks from my Shadow."

Danny sighed. "You'll have to convince my friends." He pointed them in the direction of the lair. "Ask Cecelia. She's a great judge of character. If she turns ya down, then you're out. Got it?"

The four ghosts nodded and then flew off.

Danny flew through the portal and up through the basement and out of his house. Jazz's college was four hours away on a drive, but considerably less time would be spent now that Danny was going to fly there. It would be at most twenty minutes to get there and twenty minutes to get back.

Jazz lived on-campus with a roommate. Danny had visited the campus only once before, but he remembered where to look. Alpha Pi Girls Dorms was where he sat outside and waited for Jazz to emerge. Boys were not allowed to go inside.

"Heeey Danny!" Jazz waved. Her shoulder-length red hair was shiny and straight held back by a green headband. Her clothes were hip and modern—which was a style she usually didn't go for. But a party was a special occasion. Her shirt was magenta and loose, and underneath was a cool white tank top. Her skinny jeans were black, and hip-hugging. Her sandals matched her green headband and her nails matched the magenta shirt.

"Hey Jazz!" They hugged. Then they walked behind a fence and she wrapped her arms around his back. He turned them intangible as they flew off back where he had come from. When Danny brought Jazz to the front of the lair, he turned human again and walked her through the cave.

There was Danielle standing next to Valerie. They were conversing casually. Bob seemed a little pale in the face. He was just beginning to fathom the existence of the ghost zone—and the existence of halfas. He stopped Danny for a moment and pointed a vibrating finger at him. "You're—you're a-a—"

"A halfa." Danny changed into his ghost half and then back again quickly. It's not like his secret was a secret here; he just preferred to party as Danny Fenton.

Bob's jaw was on the floor and the whites of his eyes grew bigger.

"Okay then." Danny began to dance with his girlfriend.

The ghost shield was down, and Danny, Cecelia, Jazz, Valerie, Garth, Tucker, Sam, Danielle, Bob, Perniculous, Skulker, Kitty, Ember Johnny, and Johnny's shadow all seemed to be enjoying themselves as they danced to Party Rock Anthem. They all looked like normal friends having a normal neighborhood bash.

Jazz waved to the people she recognized as Sam gave her a speedy tour around the house.

_Party rock is in the house tonight_

_Everybody just have a good time_

_And we gonna make you lose your mind_

_Everybody just have a good time_

Danielle and Sam gave Jazz a little group hug while Danny got out some snacks like Cheetos and potato chips now that the popcorn had all been eaten.

"Hi! You must be Jazz!" Cecelia gave her a hug.

"Nice to meet you." Jazz was friendly. "Cool lair."

"Thanks." Garth joined the conversation.

"Dinner's ready!" Tucker announced. He took the spinach pie and the sausages out from the oven. "The pizza will be out in just a sec." He added.

Everybody grabbed some food. Most of them continued dancing while taking bites. Danny was one of the few who sat down. He chose the center of the couch. Garth and Sam were sitting across from Danny as they ate. Johnny and Kitty were making out on one of the living room chairs.

Danny was relieved when Jazz sat next to him with her plate of food. Maybe she could help take away from the awkwardness.

"So…Jazz…meet any guys over at college?" Danny found that to be the only question on his mind right now.

"No." She said casually and took a bite of pizza.

Cecelia and Valerie were really good dancers, Danny noticed. Danielle wasn't half bad either. But Cecelia…she could really _move_.

"Everybody, I think the mood is just right for me to do a little magic trick."

"Oh no." Garth groaned gothically. "Somebody's going to die."

Perniculous flew up high in the alcove of the lair. He soon had all their little eyes fixed on him. "With a simple flick of the wand, I can enchant the ceiling so that confetti falls down. It'll make the room all shimmery…"

Garth groaned, trying to ignore the ghost. Sam sneered at him, hoping he would start to realize that he was a social mishap all by himself.

"Don't—" Danny started, but it was too late.

The confetti was falling.

Everybody went right back to what they were doing.

"I want to personally thank you for inviting me to this party!" Perniculous said to Danny. But Perniculous wasn't watching where his wand was aimed at, and suddenly Garth fell to the ground, moaning in pain and clutching his abdomen. Perniculous gasped and backed away as Danny, Sam and friends gathered around.

Garth's eyes were closed and he backed out.

"What's the matter with him?" Asked Jazz.

"Garth? GARTH! Are you okay? Garth!" Sam was brushing the rugged brown hairs out of his eyes as Danny and Tucker lifted him onto the sofa.

"He stopped breathing!" Tucker panicked.

"Oh no!" Bob Foley shrieked.


	44. Chapter 42: Decisions In Affect

Heeey! Sorry the update took so long. I got lazy. This chapter was sitting on my computer half-done for the longest time!

Reviews, plz? I know you're going to love it…

~Prenn

**Chapter 42: Decisions In Affect **

"What can we do?" Danielle kept her cool during the crisis.

"I'll help. Just tell me what I can do." Cecelia followed Danielle's fine example.

"Um…what could be doing this to him?" Valerie asked.

"Think, guys. There isn't much time." Danny said.

"Appendix?" Jazz asked.

"He got had out when he was nine." Cecelia said.

"Heart attack? If that's the case, then I know CPR." Jazz said.

"By all means, give it a try!" Danny and everybody else stepped out of the way for Jazz to do it. But there was no change. She even gave him the Heimlich, but still he wouldn't breathe.

Sam was crying. Tucker was whimpering. Bob was whining in panic and hugging his cousin, Tucker. Valerie was starting to get misty eyes as well. She couldn't hold back the tears once they started to come.

"Maybe there's something else blocking his breathing." Cecelia suggested.

"Like…an amulet?" Danielle suggested. Without giving the theory any further thought, she phased her arm through his abdomen and in a second she pulled out the amulet. The dragon amulet that had been fused inside him for so many years and had given him his powers.

Garth opened his eyes and started to breathe again. But he felt all dizzy and even threw up a little. He went all pale when he saw Danielle holding the amulet and he nearly fainted.

Danielle took Valerie and Bob back home, and Danny took Jazz back to her campus.

"Thanks for an exciting night, little brother." She hugged him and waved goodbye as he flew away with her.

By then, the ghostly guests had all gone home—except for Perniculous, that is. He received a good talking to by all the members of Team Phantom.

"It was an accident, I SWEAR. I would never ever mean to hurt _any_ of my friends, ever, honestly. It was just an accident. If there's anything I can do, well, er, please let me help—I'm sorry Garth." Perniculous hung his head down in shame.

"Don't _ever_ come back to our lair." Garth said with a detesting gaze fixed on the ghost whose little accident nearly killed him.

Perniculous flew away to his own shriveled home and never visited them again.

Sam sat next to Garth, stroking his hair. "You're completely human now." She whispered in disbelief.

"Yeah…" Garth glanced at the amulet which now resided on the coffee table. He picked it up and studied it intently. Never before had he been able to get it out. But since it had shifted, well, it _had_ to come out. He almost wished he could put it back.

That night, Danny flew his older sister back to her campus. When he returned, all but Garth were asleep.

"Gee, I'm glad Danielle saved you, Garth." Danny said. He was about to turn in for bed when he noticed Tucker asleep in the easy chair. "Best get to sleep, Garth."

"Danny," Garth stood up. "Do you think it would be possible…to put it back? In the right place? I'm just not myself without these powers. I never really appreciated my dragon self until it was gone."

Danny sighed. "Are you sure? You could finally have a life free from being the responsible one. You wouldn't have to fight ghosts anymore…"

"But that's a big part of being me." Garth said.

"Okay then." Danny said. He placed the amulet back where it belonged—inside Garth and in a place where it would not affect his breathing. "There. You're back to normal."

Garth smiled.

Danny went into his bedroom.

Garth transformed briefly into his dragon half just to make sure he was back to being himself before he called it a day. He wrapped himself up in all the covers. No matter how comfortable the bed was, Garth still couldn't sleep. No, not with all the sounds that were coming from the eerie ghost world outside. And so Garth had to accept the fact that no matter how tightly his eyes were shut, and no matter how tired his brain was, he was never going to get any rest.

So he slipped out of bed and did some working out. He was careful not to make a sound. All night, the memory of Perniculous haunted his mind. It was driving Garth absolutely crazy! Now that he'd found a team of friends, he had changed. He had become more of a team player. He wasn't as selfish as he used to be.

And promising to himself that he'd never forgive the poltergeist only brought up the reoccurring thought that Garth knew he was a hypocrite. He had every right to hold a grudge. But that doesn't mean it was the right thing to do. The only way to make peace was to go straight to the root of the problem itself. Garth had to pay his neighbor a visit.

Garth wanted to turn back, but his subconscious edged him on until he was completely out of the lair. Garth took a deep breath and produced a clean, crisp knock on Perniculous front door. Garth waited about four minutes, but didn't hear any footsteps. So maybe he got lucky and the ghost was asleep. Garth turned and walked away, when the door opened.

There stood Perniculous in his red and white striped night robe and matching night cap. "Garth?" Perniculous made a light of his hand. "What are you doing here so late at night?"

It took every fiber in his body for Garth not to fly away in retreat. He forced himself to turn around, face his problem head-on, and do what had to be done. "Perniculous, I understand now that what you did to me earlier today was an accident. And I…I suppose I can, well, I forgive you, Perniculous."

The magician ghost gasped dramatically. "You do?" He hugged Garth and tumbled around the air jubilantly. "Yipee!"

At that, Garth made a run for his home where he quickly and quietly snuggled under the covers. He even fell asleep.

In the morning, Cecelia and Danielle were the first to awaken, and they got started on whipping up a breakfast.

"How does French toast sound to you?" Cecelia asked.

"Delicious." Danielle agreed. The two girls agreed on nearly everything. So it was no surprise that Danielle was Cecelia's new BFF.

Soon thereafter, everybody else dragged themselves out of bed. Apparently Danielle and Cecelia were the only morning people in the group. Sam had to be practically "ripped" from her bed by Garth and Tucker. It took about twenty minutes for them to convince her to wake up. The only reason this didn't go faster is because Danny refused to help.

"I'm not going in there!" Danny said. "You mess with the bull, you get the horns." He warned them.

And yes, in fact, Tucker took one for the team. Sam bit him in the arm. Sam didn't bite Garth, because, well, he'd probably bite back and a dragon bite would _not_ be pleasant.

So it was Cecelia's idea of "late" when everybody finally sat down in the living room to enjoy French toast together. While Danny seemed chipper, he was still very tired and used to sleeping in. Tucker was especially groggy, and kept mouthing words of nonsense such as "plot bunnies".

Garth had to smack Tucker over the head to wake him up. But by then, everyone had had it.

Once everybody had eaten, they all packed everything up and prepared to leave. Danny carried Cecelia, Danielle carried Tucker, and Garth carried Sam. Flight was slower than usual because they were all very tired.

"When we get back into our world, I'm collapsing on the first couch I find just to let you know." Sam announced.

"Why am I not surprised?" Danielle said to Cecelia, who laughed.

Then the team landed at the island which had the ghost portal back to the human world. They let Garth and Sam go through it first. Sam kept her promise, and fell asleep on the Fenton's living room couch. Garth kept a close eye out for the next person to come through. It was Danielle

"Welcome home." Garth said to the younger girl.

Danielle gave him a thumbs up. "Where is Sam now?"

"…Guess."

Tucker was about to go through the portal, but he had to clamp his hands over his ears because a deafening sound whooshed past him. "Gee what was that?" Nobody could hear his shouting over the sound.

Amidst all the traffic going past was a large flat red vehicle. It averted itself from the mainstream of traffic and was headed straight for our heroes. Cecelia froze. Tucker jumped through the portal, hoping his friends were only a step behind him.

But they never came.

The mysterious vehicle ambushed Danny and Cecelia before they had any chance of escaping. Somebody harshly commanded the three of them to get inside the dark vehicle. Whoever was inside threatened that they'd blast the teens to bits if they didn't come quietly.

_What in the world did we get ourselves into?_ Cecelia thought. Her hands were getting sweaty. She held on tight to Danny. She could feel him panting next to her, but she couldn't see him.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"Yeah." She nodded, her voice shaking.

"Be quiet!" Said a disturbingly familiar voice. Cecelia could feel her arm hairs standing on end.

Danny held an ectobeam in his hand to use as a light source so they could see their captor's face. Cecelia shrank closer to Danny's side, feeling better protected whenever she was close to him.

"Wenn?" Cecelia gasped.

Wenn shirked indifferently. "Yes. It's me. So what?"

"What do you want, Wenn?" Danny glared ferociously as he changed into Phantom form.

Wenn rolled his eyes as if Danny was no threat to him whatsoever. "Do you know where Clockwork lives? I've been circling this ghost zone for hours. I could really use your help…before I start to get frustrated, that is. Because if I get frustrated with you, well, let's just say you won't remember anything after that."

"We'll _never_ help you!" The words escaped Cecelia's mouth foolishly. Danny hushed her.

"Wait a minute here, how did you get in?" Danny asked. "Tossi aren't allowed in here. If the ghosts knew, they'd all gang up and kill you without remorse.

"So how did I manage an entrance? I'll give you three guesses." Wenn smiled darkly, his straight blond hair hanging in those wild and peculiar swirly eyes.

"You followed us in here. You came in right after we did." Danny guessed.

"Nope."

"Skulker helped you." Danny was so sure of this answer.

"Wrong again."

"You followed Danny and Jazz." Cecelia theorized.

"All wrong! You're forgetting about my boss, Vlad Plasmius. He's insisting that I go to Clockwork's place of residence and destroy his real-transportation stick, er, whatever. Just tell me where Clockwork lives and I'll let you go without a price on your head for once in your life."

Danny, the hero, said, "Never!"

"Yeah!" Cecelia agreed.

Wenn raised one eyebrow. "Whatever." He said and he resumed the pilot seat of the vehicle. He was still a psychic after all, and he could tell that Danny and Cecelia had no idea where Clockwork lived. Wenn hadn't accounted for this; he rarely made a mistake. Especially when situations were so tense.

Wenn had to extract the info somehow. And then Wenn had a bright idea. He'd just have to find himself a dim-witted ghost in the neighborhood. Danny tried to phase himself and his girlfriend outta here, but he couldn't. They could hear Wenn chuckling, though.

"You think this is funny?" Danny was angry. His eyes glowed.

"Why do you have to be such a butt, Wenn?" Cecelia grimaced.

Wenn accelerated the speed suddenly, throwing both of his hostages to the back end. Danny landed on top of Cecelia and knocked the wind right out of her. She couldn't talk.

"Cecelia!"

Wenn laughed all the more harder.

"You sadistic little demon!"

"Why thank you, Danny. My car is ghost proof, so no, you won't be going anywhere except where I want you to. And secondly, I just found someone I can ask about Clockwork's realm." Wenn said. "This guy looks like a complete idiot."

Perniculous was floating about his lair, watering his garden and plucking out weeds and casting magic where needed. He seemed bright and cheery as usual, and also very clueless. Wenn pulled up and rolled down his window so he could talk to Perniculous. "Hello there."

"Hi." Perniculous greeted as if Wenn was just another neighbor.

Wenn had to speak differently so as to hide his fangs. He had to be careful not to let this ghost see his eyes either. Either one of these traits could clearly identify him as a Tossi. "I was wondering, where is Clockwork's hideaway?" Wenn asked. "He's an old friend of mine and I felt it was right about time to pay him a visit! It's his birthday too.

"Ooh! I love birthdays!" Perniculous jumped.

Wenn nodded. Cecelia had to admit, Wenn did do a pretty good fake. But that's all it'd ever be—_fake_.

"No, Perniculous don't tell him!" Danny wailed as he tried to get the ghost's attention by banging from the inside of the vehicle.

"Perniculous, stop!" Cecelia found her breath. "It's a trick!"

Perniculous turned his nose up at Danny. He cast a friendly smile at Wenn. "You just go left for about twenty yards and then take a right at the giant bird cage, a left at the dragon realm, and take a 30 degree spin and you're there." Perniculous said. "And have a nice day! Tell Clockwork I wish him a happy 884th birthday!"

"Thanks. I'll be sure to tell him." Said Wenn smugly as he rolled up the windshield and drove them away at top speed.

The speed blew Danny and his girlfriend face down onto the floor. "You just keep trying to ruin my life, don't you?" Danny said to Wenn.

"Not _everybody's_ out to get you Danny. Come on, don't be so selfish." Wenn took a right at the giant bird cage-shaped floating house, just as Perniculous had instructed. "I assume you'll be more inclined to help me _now_? Fate will be inevitable either way. But in the end that's all up to me."

"Why on earth would we do that?" Danny said.

"Because if you don't help me, Cecelia will suffer a worse fate than you." "You'll kill her?" Danny suddenly lacked the air to breathe.


	45. Chapter 43: Preemptive Strikeout

**Review plz :3 ?**

**100th reviewer will reciew a special thanks in the next chapter!**

**Chapter 43: Preemptive Strikeout **

"Worse. With Clockwork's power, I'll send her through the first portal I find—whether it's a gateway to another universe or a tunnel to hell." Wenn snickered.

Cecelia's heart was beating fast. Danny held her tight. He knew it would not be wise to protest. But how could he agree to help the enemy?

"Besides, _I'm_ the only one who knows how to get you out of here anyways. And I will do so only if you help me seek out and destroy the RealmFinder. Without me, you'll be completely lost here forever."

"FYI _Wenn_, I've been to Clockwork's realm _many_ times." Danny said.

Wenn scoffed. "So have I. But I'll bet you've never been to his _new_ address." Danny rested his case. Wenn was telling the truth, and Danny knew it. Wenn landed the vehicle on the large stone pavement right outside Clockwork's little round house. "You only get one chance." Wenn said to Danny and his girlfriend. "Or she'll be separated from you forever." He fastened a belt around Danny, forcing him to turn back into human form. The belt also prevented him from using his powers to escape.

They decided it was in their best interests to follow Wenn for the moment. Cecelia held on tight to Danny's arm. So tight it would leave a red mark. "Don't worry. I won't let you go." Danny whispered to her.

Wenn knocked on the wooden purple door. Nobody was home. All the lights were out. Not one sound emanated from inside that house. "Kick down the door." Wenn commanded to Cecelia.

"Don't talk to her like that." Danny said.

"It's allright, Danny." Cecelia gave the door two kicks and it faltered.

Danny made Wenn go in first.

"I don't like this—breaking and entering." Danny said as they walked through the ghost's home. "Don't touch _anything_, Cecelia." He warned her.

"I won't."

As they slowly creeped throughout the house, floorboards creaked and a gust of wind flew in some of the windows (which had no curtains).

It was very spine-chilling.

"How will you know when you've found it?" Cecelia asked Wenn.

Wenn was getting frustrated. He didn't see it anywhere. They'd already looked through the living room, kitchen, bathroom and bedroom. So where else was there to look?

Danny walked across the part of the floor where it creaked. "Isn't it obvious?" He said to the other three. "There's a basement."

"Good thinking, Danny. So where are the stairs?" Wenn looked around.

"There isn't any in a ghost's house. You'll have to remove the belt so I can phase us through."

Wenn scoffed. "Like that'll ever happen."

"It's the only way. I'll do it if you swear to let Cecelia go back free. Back to my house, in _this_ universe, with no worries."

Wenn stood there, poker face on. He took of the belt. "You have my word as a Tossi." He said with a snarl.

Danny took Wenn's and Cecelia's hands and phased them down through the basement. Cecelia shivered—she was wearing a tank top. And it was cold and damp and musty down here with the smell of mildew. A single string of ghostly green Christmas lights lit the wall. And they were very dim.

Wenn, who was not cold at all, marched right onwards.

"Hold on everyone. I see it." Wenn picked up a little metal box on a desk. The metal box had some buttons on it and a small rectangular screen.

On the underside, it had two little speakers. And it also had a fabric handle so one could conveniently wrap it around the shoulder like a purse or a bag. Wenn smiled evilly.

He turned towards them and they seemed to be very scared that he'd actually found it. Danny especially wondered if Wenn had any intention of keeping his word. "Wenn…" Danny started to scold the Tossi boy.

"Oh don't worry," said Wenn smugly, "I'm going to let you go. _This_ little thing is far more important than Danny Phantom and his petty girlfriend."

Danny crossed his arms. He was both insulted and yet relieved. He phased them out of the ruddy little basement.

"You okay?" He asked Cecelia.

"Yeah, just a little chilly, that's all." Cecelia shivered.

Danny changed back to Fenton form and gave her his blue jacket.

"Thanks." They smiled at each other.

"Get in the car!" Wenn bellowed, ruining the gentle moment with a flurry of anger and adrenaline.

"So what does it…_do_?" Danny asked as Wenn was driving them back to the portal.

Wenn snorted. "Oh well, duh! Why didn't I think of that?" He picked it up. "It'll save me a lot of time. Not that it's any of your business what it does, though."

Danny scoffed.

"Take us to the ghost side of the Fenton portal." Wenn said to the speakerphones of the box.

Much like an Infi-Map ride, it took control of the vehicle and within seconds, they arrived at their desired place.

"Out." Wenn commanded. "Don't wait for me to change my mind."

The two of them looked at each other, and then at Wenn. Before Wenn could even realize what was happening, Cecelia held Wenn down while Danny took the RealmFinder. Danny then phased it, and himself plus Cecelia, out of Wenn's car.

"GIVE IT BACK!" Wenn roared tumultuously.

"Stealing doesn't work out as well as you thought, huh?" Danny said, smiling self-assuredly.

Wenn glared.

"Take us to Clockwork." Cecelia told the RealmFinder.

Immediately, Danny and Cecelia were whisked away deep into the ghost zone with Wenn trailing close behind in his vehicle.

Turns out Clockwork was somewhere in an old abandoned clock tower, similar to his original home. But it wasn't. The door was open.

Danny and Cecelia entered. They were startled to see Clockwork standing right there, staring down at them with disappointment in his glowing red eyes. Danny froze. Clockwork received what was rightfully his.

"It wasn't us! Wenn stole it! Wenn Lester!" Cecelia said.

Clockwork chose not to respond.

"No, really, Wenn made us. He captured us and forced us to come along." Cecelia explained.

"Yeah." Danny agreed.

They must have stood there in silence for fifteen minutes before Wenn showed up. The moment the Tossi saw Clockwork, he tried to run away. Clockwork stopped the thief and scared him into coming inside. Then Clockwork showed the door.

"You're mad." Danny said.

Clockwork shook his head. He smiled approvingly towards Danny and Cecelia. "I'm proud. You two need to stay together—you make a great team."

"Gee, thanks." They said in unison.

Clockwork chuckled. "It's hard to imagine that one day I'll be saying that to your kids." Clockwork tapped his staff, and a portal appeared that would take Danny and Cecelia back home. They stepped through. "Don't worry—I'll take care of this boy." Clockwork waved to them.

"I-I-I have no words." Wenn blurted. He braced himself for what he thought Clockwork would do.

"What are you doing, boy? Against my better judgment, I'm going to let you go. But be warned…" He created a portal for Wenn to step through.

Now that Clockwork was all alone, he sat down and kicked back to watch some TV. Everybody needs a day off some time.

Back at the Fenton house, Garth and Sam had gone home. Danielle was upstairs sleeping. Tucker was in the living room taking advantage of Danny's video games.

Danny felt so good that he had done the right thing. He and Cecelia thought alike when they both sprang to defy Wenn.

"Danny, are you okay?" Cecelia put her arm around his shoulders as she stood next to him.

"Yeah." He smiled, because he actually believed it.

This whole adventure has made Danny grateful to be exactly who he is. Being surrounded by people who cared about him was also a plus. So that was the big lesson behind all of this.

"I feel like I set things right today." Danny said.

"That's because you _did_." Cecelia agreed. "You're a hero, Danny, and everyone knows it. I'm just glad you finally believe it. After all this, you'd think it would have all went to your head by now. But no, you're way too smart for that." Her cheeks pinkened.

Danny flushed too. "Thanks." He said softly. She brushed some of the sweaty hairs away from his face so she could better see those beautiful eyes he had that were the color of the sky. She stared into them with her own lavender-colored eyes.

Danny changed back to human form. Mom and dad were opening the front door just as Danny and Cecelia were coming up from the basement.

"Hey son!" Jack gave Danny a constricting hug. "Guess what happened today?"

"Your father and I got hired by the Guys in White to build a weapon that detects ghosts from far away!" Maddie cheered.

Jack and Maddie danced around the house happily without a care in the world. However, Tucker paused the game and Danny and Cecelia came over to him.

"Uh oh." Tucker said. "What'll we do?"

"I dunno." Cecelia looked down.

"I don't have a plan yet, but I'll think of one. I've just gotta. But we don't wanna go take a preemptive strike and then find out later it wasn't worth it. I think that right now, patience will be key."

"I agree." Cecelia said. She hugged Danny.

"Do Whatcha want." Tucker went back to video games. Danny joined him, and Cecelia watched.

School started back up again—because Easter break never lasted long enough. One morning, Danny, Tucker, Cecelia and Sam met together for breakfast at Sam's house. It's always nice to sit in the lap of luxury for a while. Sam had her butler cook breakfast for them.

"School's going to be ending soon. And my parents' careers are more successful than ever." Sam said.

"My father's picked up a good amount of money working for NASA." Cecelia said. "He's able to keep the halls of NASA buildings ghost-free."

"My father's been shirking on his mayoral duties." Tuck said. "You think he'll let me take over again?"

Everybody laughed.

"What? I'm serious! My mom's a home decorator and her career is going nowhere. I wanna make something of my life!"

"And you think that being mayor of Amity Park is a big accomplishment?" Sam heaped loads of sarcasm onto Tuck's shoulders.

"Well, Sam, something happened yesterday to change my parents careers forever." Danny began. "They've been hired to make a ghost-detector for the Guys in White."

Sam gasped.

"Don't panic." Cecelia warned.

"I'm not. I'm just worried. Danny, you're going to have to be _extra_ careful." Sam said with worry.

"I know that." Danny said fearlessly. "We all will."

There's only a few days left of Junior year for our little heroes.

Today they will be taking their final exams, to see if they pass on to the next grade. Danny Fenton, Cecelia Hazel, Tucker Foley and Sam Manson. Of course, some of their classmates didn't have to worry so much. Dash and Kwan got average grades and they knew that their teachers favored them too much to hold them back a grade.

Paulina and Star had similar apprehensions, only they actually tried to pass with better than a C average. Valerie was trying, but had just barely brought her average to a D. She still hadn't managed to balance her job at the Nasty Burger with ghost hunting and school too.

Danny looked forward to his Senior year, because his sister Danielle would be joining the school as a freshman, now that she'd gotten all caught up through serious home-schooling studies.

As Danny and his three friends headed to lunch, he looked over at Cecelia. "Hey." He said to her.

"Hey Danny." She smiled sweetly. Her long dark brown hair was free and her red lips were so very inviting.

Before they went into the lunch room, Danny pulled Cecelia aside and kissed her. He touched her soft lips to his and held her tightly. She didn't resist. She _couldn't_ resist.

He stopped to take a breath of air. "Sorry, I just couldn't wait any longer."

To his great surprise, she couldn't stop laughing as they both sat down to eat their lunches.

It was nearly impossible for someone to dislike Danny Fenton. He was sweet, gentle and very cute. He made friends with everyone too. His buddies were so different from each other yet they all got along with him.

Danny just had that charisma.

Cecelia had a bit of a crush on him for longer than she let on, but who could blame her? He's had that effect on several different young ladies. Recently she just discovered that he feels the same way about her.

He's the hero. Naturally he deserves loads of attention.


	46. Chapter 44: Conclusion

**Chapter 44: The Importance Of Conclusions**

**This is the final chapter (for now) so please review and tell me whatcha think of it over all as well as the conclusion, characters and pairings thank you if ever there was a time to review, its now!**

Today was the last day of Junior Year.

There was still cheerleading practices and meets over the summer, though, so Cecelia would be able to keep in touch with the other members of the cheerleading team such as Paulina, Star, Valerie, Ginny and Danielle of course. Ginny Moore was a new student of Casper High this year and she talked to some of the members of the squad, trying to get to know them before she decides to join the team. She joined within the last month of school, but fit right in.

After school she befriended Danielle and Cecelia and they caught on that she was part ghost and has the power of intangibility. Although it's her only power, she's grateful to have inherited any at all. When it comes to genetics, virtually any combination is possible.

Which brings the focus back to the world's most adorable and heartfelt hero, Danny Fenton. Danny's been staying up too late studying and doing homework because all he does in school is sleep. And after school, he's pressuring himself to be "good" enough for his future internship at NASA.

Cecelia was scared for her self-confidence when she found herself sitting right across from Danny at lunch. "Hi Danny." She said with a friendly smile. He smiled back, though she could see he was not well.

"Danny, um, do you wanna go out?" Cecelia bit her lip. How selfish of her to bother him while he was on such a tight schedule! "You look like you could use a good time."

"Tonight?"

Cecelia nodded, her long hair swooshing and bobbing as it spread across her body. Her purple eyes widened with excitement, revealing layers of passion.

To Cecelia's great amazement, Danny smiled. "Sure, Cecelia. This is just the sort of thing I've been looking for to get me out of this rut."

She smiled and they joined hands. He brought her close for a little kiss on the cheek.

There were only a few classes left before school was out for summer. Danny and Cecelia were walking in the hall with the rest of their friends.

The moment that they finished school, they threw all their notebooks, pencils and papers high in the air and screamed, "School's out!" With a whoop of glee.

It all went by so _fast_.

At Danny and Cecelia's date at night, Cecelia asked Danny when he knew that he had feelings for her.

"It was in a dream."

"A dream, Danny?"

"Yes, a dream." He said with certainty.

"Tell, me! please?" She begged.

He smiled. He couldn't say no to her. Not with her hair all fixed in waves and her big purple eyes. No, not in that makeup. Not in that dress.

She was _irresistible_.

"Okay." Danny chuckled. _"It was a stormy night and the trees were brushing up against my windowsill. Little did I know this would be the night I realize who my true love is. After all these years of the routine of school and work, I was so happy to finally admit to myself that I was in love."_

_Cecelia giggled. "Please continue, she said, intrigued._

"_I closed my eyes, and shortly thereafter, I fell asleep. I was back in my high school, Casper High. I was wearing a varsity letter jacket much like Dash's. Only, this one fit me. The guys on the football team were cheering me on as I sat down. They seemed to know my secret."_

"_About being Danny Phant—"_

"_Yes, that one." He said before she could finish her sentence. "Dash smiled and said, "We saved you a seat, buddy." Dash moved over. "Hi, Danny." Said Paulina with a flirty wink. "Can we sit with you?" Sam and Tucker came over and joined me. "Sure." I said with a smile. Soon after, Valerie, Cecelia, Danielle, and Garth joined us—even though Garth never went to this school. "Danny, please please please go out with me!" Blonde haired Star came over to my lunch table. "Sorry, Star," I said, "But there's only one girl for me." I looked to my right and Cecelia was sitting next to me. I put my hands around her neck and kissed her over and over. And the next thing, I woke up to the brrring of my space shuttle alarm clock beside my desk."_

"OHMYGOSH!" Cecelia stood up.

Danny was worried, and confused was she happy or angry? That dream did get a bit personal. She might be insulted that he had thought of her that way and was dreaming of a make out session with her.

"What?" Danny was afraid to ask.

"Danny!" She pulled him close. "I had the _exact same_ dream." She whispered.

From that moment onward, Danny Fenton and Cecelia Hazel knew they were meant to be together.

They always were, actually because what's truly meant to be will find its way around all obstacles—age difference, distance, friendship. Love seems to stretch outside all of the boundaries.

Danny and Cecelia's friends wished them a happy relationship for the years to come.

Love can change anyone, it's a _fact_, not a theory.

That very same night, after the date was over and the two lovebirds walked homeward hand in hand, Vlad Plasmius and Cirth were waiting outside to give Danny a surprise attack. Cirth was about to fire on Danny when Vlad stopped him. "Wait." Vlad held the clone back.

"Come on? Why not strike now while he's at his weakest?" Cirth demanded ruthlessly.

"Loving her isn't a weakness. It's actually the strongest part of him." Vlad said, almost as if he understood what love can do to a person. As if he had experience. "I'll get my revenge on Danny some other time. For now, let's just leave him be." Vlad and a sulking Cirth departed from the peaceful place.

As for Danielle and Tucker, Tucker finally decided to get up the courage to ask her out. She accepted, gracefully. Danny decided to be happy that his best friend was dating his sister. What's done is done, and everybody knew Danielle and Tuck made a very cute couple.

As for Sam Manson, it was clear as crystal that she only had eyes for Garth Lloyd now. They were two peas in a pod, and on a good day they brought out the best in each other. But even the best of relationships can't always end on a good note.

Right now they were in the middle of a little disagreement. Sam could be really annoying at times, and Garth was finally getting to see the more immature and selfish sides of her. He didn't like it. Sam was one of those girls who always thought she was right.

This is one of the reasons why she didn't have many boyfriends.

And Garth was one of those guys who weren't going to let her get away with that, which is good for her. She just doesn't know it yet, but she will. She and Garth were made for each other. At nighttime, when the sun had gone down and they really started to ponder on these thoughts, they realized that they need each other. They knew that they were likewise destined to a rockier relationship than most. And for this they would be grateful, once they finally got over their boundaries. Because honestly, not everybody gets to have a perfect relationship like Danny and Cecelia.

.

In the spirit of honesty, There's this young lady named Tara Richer who is going to West Downtown City High in Amity Park Colorado, home of the Downtown City Chargers. Tara is one of those studious students—the ones that teachers like to have. She however has little time for social interaction or friendship cultivating. For months now she has been the object of Wenn Lester's interest, because she is, albeit brilliant when it comes to medical and chemical equations. She's going to make a fabulous doctor some day.

So yeah, Wenn has been spying on Tara through his best friend Larrow Koh Haida, a psychic Tossi who attends the school. Wenn doesn't even know why this particular human has captured his interest, but he _wants_ her. The desire is a constant fire in his chest. Some day, he will have her. Even if he has to kill her after he does away with her.

Wenn usually gets what he wants—he's used to it. Larrow and Wenn grew up together, possibly because they are distantly related. The Tossi keep track of family like that. One day, Wenn and Larrow met at Larrow's house along with two of their youthful and electrical friends, Niki Sayle and Preston Venturi. The four together had been an unbreakable team since their tender ages, despite their wide variety of interests and appearance. Niki had dark brown hair with orange tips, Preston had light hair the color of a beautiful ocean, and Larrow had shaggy pitch black hair.

"The Power of Four." Preston named their group.

"What shall we do today, Wenn?" Niki looked up at him.

"We're going to kidnap us a teenage human, that's what." Wenn smiled deviously. "I can bear it no longer. She and I _have_ to be together."

"I'm ready when you're ready." Preston said.

"Wait, wait, wait, shouldn't we think this through? I'm tired of acting on impulse and then getting into trouble because of careless mistakes."

"Larrow has a point." Niki flipped her orange-tipped hair and cocked her hips, which were strangely very wide. Perhaps it was just genetic, but Niki always hated them.

Wenn sighed. "How long do you think we should wait, genius?"

"Pfft, wait for the opportune moment. We're creatures of the night. We can't spring out during the day. wait until there will come a time when Tara won't be missed. _Then_ we take her."

"I'm siding with Larrow on this one." Niki nodded.

"You always take his side!" Preston said.

"You're still my number one guy Preston don't worry." She kissed him on the cheek.

"Ugghhh." Wenn's face looked all angsty now, his heart filled with regret. "I suppose Koh Haida does have a point after all…"

"Thanks." Said Larrow with heavy sarcasm.

.

It was on a strange summer day at the beach when Danny and his little circle of friends—who referred to themselves proudly as Team Phantom—were spending the remainder of a long Saturday afternoon at the beach. Garth was at the grill, using his fire powers to heat up some hot dongs which would probably end up burnt. Sam was hiding under a black umbrella and sitting on top of a beach towel reading one of those lame, cliché spy novels. Danielle was tanning, relaxing and listening to music while pretending to listen to Tucker who was sitting next to her rambling on and on about impressive things he had done in his life. Danny and Cecelia were the only two actually in the water, and they were having a frisky splash fight whilst giggling and laughing as seagulls flew all around them in the wind cycle.

Dash and Paulina had been invited to come, and they arrived twenty minutes later than the decided hour. On the bright side of things, at least they had bothered to show up.

"Hey guys." Paulina greeted Danny and Cecelia.

"Hey Paulina." The lovebirds immediately stopped flirting and got out of the water.

"_Paulina_." Sam looked up.

"I, er, we just wanted to say that Paulina and I know Danny's little secret." Said Dash with a smile.

Danny looked all choked up. His face went white. Sam slapped the book closed. Tucker stood up. garth peered over his shoulder and Danielle stuffed her headphones into her pocket. Cecelia squeezed Danny's hand, fearful for his sake. He looked at her, then back over at Dash and Paulina. "What secret?" He dared to ask. The whole world went silent.

"That you're Danny Phantom of course." Paulina giggled.

"What?" Danny tried to act surprised.

"Oh, come on, Fenton, isn't it obvious? Fenton-Phantom? They even sound alike. I wouldn't've figured it out, though, if we hadn't seen ya change." Dash said.

"Yeah, it was right after school on the last day. You and Cecelia went into the back alley and kissed. Then I saw you change into the ghost boy and carry her off into the sky. Dash and I usually make out in that alley, so that's why we were there. But when we saw you, our minds were somewhere else, wondering _how_?"

Danny looked downward and combed his toes through the sand. He'd have to face them. And there was no excuse for what they'd seen because it was the truth. "Oh well, there's no point in keeping your from it any longer." Danny said. "What you saw in the alley…it was real."

"No kidding." Said Paulina.

"So what now?" Dash asked.

"Welcome to the team." Danny, Cecelia, Danielle and Tucker said in unison. Sam rolled her eyes, and Garth showed his own way of approving the new members.

And so the _eight_ of them spent the rest of the afternoon together—as friends, while they tanned, swam, and enjoyed their barbecue courtesy of Garth's bitter cooking. Summer was here, and for a while there would be no attacks on the small city of Amity Park, so the gang might as well kick back and relax.

But don't think for a moment that the action's all over. Don't turn a head. The adventure is far from its true conclusion not. So don't blink. The phantom school year may perhaps be over for now, but a new phantom summer is about to begin.


	47. Important Note

Hey guys...I want to thank you for all the hits, faves and follows! I will hopefully be posting a rewrite of the book soon. The plotline hasn't changed, but in the re-edit I DID manage to get the word count over 120,000, which is why I then split it into two books. So BOTH of them may be posted this summer...cuz for sure I don't have time now to post XD

I'm still working on DLH's re-edit and Danny Meets Some Interesting People. I'm totally NOT on hiatus. In fact i go online almost every day! :3 Please everybody continue reading and reviewing On The Run. It will be very much appreciated!

I'm still amazed at all the thousands of hits I get, and to think this book was my FIRST (presentable) Danny Phantom fanfic! So THANK YOU! You guys rock! I love you all so much I can't even say :')

I will post another note here once the rewrite is up. I hope you will fave and follow it too!

~Prenn

:D


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